Timeshift Tale
by ErinCross17
Summary: After the monsters won the war, they move from the nation's capital into Pennsylvania's city, Harrisburg where a twenty-two year old woman, Jill, lives in a small apartment complex. She meets an old friend that had helped her during her darkest days and, as a result, she ends up meeting someone she'd never thought she'd see again as well as the monsters.
1. Chapter 1

Nightmares, Good Friends, and Bad Puns

'Remember, never forget.' I lay on my bed with my long, dark Brown hair sprawling out over tangled sheets as I read through my diary I have had since I was six. My Brown eyes scan the pages continuously. It's already past midnight and I can't get a wink of sleep. Sighing, I try to relay the plans I have for today through my head to avoid the negative thoughts that are beginning to surface. 'In the morning I'm going to meet up with my friends at Dunkin' Doughnuts, then I have to go to my job at Starbucks, and go to that job interview for that clerk position at Wal-Mart... Yup, today's gonna be just great, especially with all the sleep I'm getting, hehe. Well, there's a silver lining to every cloud. I'm getting paid and have a home to live in. Plus, it's my day off from the university.' I place my diary back on my nightstand and turn out the light then try to close my eyes to relax. Sleep slowly takes over me.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" I see my mother wearing her blue, satin nightgown standing before me. We stand on the balcony of the apartment we lived in when I was younger.

"All your fault..." She mumbles incoherently as I am barely able to make out the words she says.

"H-huh?" I stare at her worryingly. She lifts her face up to stare at me, giving the most intimidating and angry glare. I step back and flinch.

"It's all your fault! You useless child... You could have done something, anything! But instead you sat idly by the wall and watched me suffer..." She walks closer in a threatening manner.

"No, mom, I didn't mean to I-I-"

"You what? You were scared? Afraid your father would come back to haunt you? Pathetic..." she walks away from me, then steps onto the railing.

"W-wait, please... please don't do this, I can't lose you... I just can't... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry, please..." I sob and choke on my words.

"I know, but it's too late for that..." she whispers in regret, then steps off.

"NO!" I try to quickly reach over and save her, but I am not quick enough as I watch her plummet to the Earth. Someone shouts In my direction. Dad calls out to me with a scowl on his face, "You fucking bitch... you're just a waste of space. A complete mistake. It's your fault that I had to suffer. Now it's time for you to pay me back, with your life!" he steps closer. I put my hands up defensively, "D-don't come any closer!"

"Like you could do anything about it. You can't fight back for jack shit." I step back as he comes closer.

"Please, I'm sorry I'll-" the railing behind me disappears and My foot slips off the edge, causing me to fall to my death As I fall I hear a familiar voice calling out to me "Sis, help! Don't let them take me away!" then everything goes dark.

I jolt up from my bed, drenching in sweat with my body shaking. I look over to my clock. 3:15AM. 'Shit. I barely even got any sleep. Stupid nightmares. It's been the same one since last month.' Deciding that I probably won't be able to get more sleep I climb out of bed and turn on the lamp on my nightstand then grab my glasses from its case. 'And looks like I'll be passing out later today from sleep deprivation. Great.' I stand up and walk over to my closet. "What should I wear today? This shirt? Nah, too casual... This one? Not casual enough... Ah, perfect. This should do." I speak my thoughts to myself as I go through my shirts and tank tops of various blues, purples, greens, and pinks then stop when I see a blue v-neck t-shirt with a beautiful design of angel wings with a halo on the front. Then I pick out some white skinny jeans, an aquamarine scarf, some socks, and my bluish gray jacket. I lay the clothes out on my bed then walk to the bathroom across the hall from my room. I take a shower, brush my teeth, and comb out my hair. When I am done I go back to change into the outfit I picked. 'I guess I could spend some time on my computer to pass the time or watch some tv in the living room... Hmm...' I decide to get on my computer and browse the internet for fan art and fanfics. About half an hour later I get bored and start playing some pc games. Three hours pass by and I decide to shut down my computer. I walk out into the kitchen to grab myself a water bottle then go to the living room and plop onto the couch. I turn on the tv and browse through the channels until I reach the news station.

"Hello, and welcome to Channel 8 News. I'm Casey Peters bringing you the 6:00 morning news." my conscious starts to drift off After listening to the weather until something on tv catches my eyes. On the screen was a news reporter interviewing some sort of humanoid host creatures wearing purple robes and a teen that looks oddly familiar. She has short brown hair and blue eyes and wears a blue and purple striped sweater. What really catches me off guard are the creatures standing beside her. They look like something out of the old fairy tales and legends I used to hear about when I was a kid. Both of them have some sort of regal aura, one being a bit more masculine and slightly taller than the other.

"Hello, I am Stacey Beckham here reporting live from Dauphin County interviewing the queen and soon to be king of monsters."

'Queen and soon to be king of monsters? What the heck is going on?' I time into listen with my eyes glued into the screen.

"Years ago, surprise and shock had swept the nation when a group of strange and different creatures, claiming to be monsters, had appeared from Mt. Ebott in Washington D.C. in 2002."

'That's right Monica told me about this fifteen years ago when I was still with my parents. I thought she was only joking around, but I guess now what she had told me was true. I feel kinda bad for doubting her now...'

"Now they are coming over into Pennsylvania looking for a new home away from the nation's capital to try and escape the riots and growing tension within the city. Now then, your highnesses, what are your plans for moving to Pennsylvania's capital?"

"Please, there's no need for formalities. Just Toriel is fine." the creature's voice is sweet and soothing, much like a mother's tone. Judging by the pitch and physicality it is probably female.

"Ah, sorry, Toriel."

"It is alright, dear. As for plans we wish to promote peace and unity between humans and monsters. However, it is not that easy in this country's capital to do so at the moment, so we have decided to move somewhere a bit more... tolerant? I suppose. Especially with the current issues we have been having." Toriel answers politely, folding her hand- er, paws together.

"Ah, yes. The riots against monsters. Have there been any incidents where you or your children have been afflicted by rising gang members or anti-monster supporters?"

"We have ran into a few complications, yes. But neither my daughter, Frisk" I freeze up at the name, 'Frisk... It can't be, can it? No, it's not possible. They took her away years ago from me. If it is her then why would she be back here? Did they abandon her? If so was she taken in by these people? No, no. She's probably still back at the orphanage. This is probably a different Frisk, but she does look slightly similar with that sweater on...' I pause then cast my attention back onto the news, "nor my son, Asriel, have caused any harm to a human whatsoever. In fact, as far as I know, no monster has ever harmed a human ever since the war..." her voice fades into a quiet whisper.

"If I'm not mistaken, the monster war had happened twenty-eight years ago in 2002 and the monsters won the war eight years later. What exactly caused this to happen, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I... I'm sorry. I'd rather not talk about it..." Toriel's eyes begin to form tears as she looks down depressingly.

"Mom... I'm sorry, ma'am, but that subject is very personal to my mother and I. A lot of lives were lost, especially some of our own family members." The other goat creature speaks with a clear and soft masculine voice. At the moment I feel pity towards her and her children.

"Ah, I see. Sorry, Asriel, Toriel. I did not know how personal that topic is to you..."

The queen wipes away her tears as her son and Frisk comforts her, "It is alright, child. You did not know any better." Then Frisk makes out certain hand gestures. 'Funny... The Frisk I knew would always use sign language to communicate just like this one.'

"Um, I'm sorry, but I don't exactly know what you're trying to say."

"Frisk says that she's willing to answer any questions you have for her and that you're forgiven." Asriel replies.

 _"_ Yes, well thank you, Frisk. So I have a question regarding your position as ambassador of humans and monsters..." Suddenly I hear a knock on my door. I get up and open it to reveal my friend, Oliver, standing on the porch, arms crossed, wearing a green sweater that complimented his onyx eyes, jeans, and scarf, "There you are. I was starting to get worried. The others were starting to wonder if you'd ever meet up with us."

"Oh, oooooh. Crap, is it time already?" Oliver nodded his head, "I am so sorry. Looks like I lost track of time, hehe." nervously scratch the back of my head.

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're okay, especially after what happened last time I came to visit..." I froze in fear as I recall the panic attack I had gone through the last time he came to check up on me, "Oh, right... sorry for, um... bringing that up."

"No, no. It's okay. I understand." I speak as a soft, kind, and patient smile forms on my lips.

"Uh, thanks." I notice a blush form on his face and chuckle, 'Cute.' "Well, shall we?" I grin and hold out my hand to him, "We don't want the others to wait any longer than they have to. Besides they'd probably think some horrible freak accident has happened to me if we don't show up soon."

"Jill! You shouldn't joke like that. What if... what if something were to actually happen to you?" he looks down with despair.

"Whoa, Oliver, calm down. I'll be fine. You know me, I don't get rattled easily. I promise I'll always be there for you guys. Besides if something does happen I'll always have you and the others to help me get back on my feet." I give him a small smile and a hug. "But we won't always be there for you..." he whispers softly.

"I know." I whisper back.

We stay like this for about a minute or two then I let go as I tell him, "Let's get going before everyone has a conniption." I take his hand and lead him to his car. He gets in the driver's seat and I sit beside him. The ride is mostly quiet, though I do not mind it. I glance out the window observing the scenery, noting that it had snowed last night and ice covered the ground. I sit in comfortable silence until Oliver breaks it by asking how my studies and classes were at the university, how my job was, and if I made any new friends. I tell him that my classes were going smoothly so far, my job was okay despite some obnoxious and rude co-workers that would occasionally make comments about me, and that I had met a few people, but I am not as close to them as I am with him and the others. He smiles knowingly then says, "By the way, I heard you applied for an internship as a lab assistant at an institute not too far from here. Have you gotten a letter back from them yet?"

I respond with a nod and say, "The letter read that I'm going to start it next Thursday in the evening. Apparently, I'm going to be working with another student under the apprenticeship of some new research team. To be honest, though, I'm kinda nervous about meeting them."

"Why's that?" he asks.

"Well, you know how I am when meeting new people. I tend to over think things and worry about what they think of me and sometimes that caused me to just stand there like an idiot in awkward silence." I let out an exasperated sigh and slouch over.

He chuckles and tried to reassure me, "You'll be fine. You normally do well under difficult situations. Besides, your pretty approachable."

"What makes you say that?" I glance over to his side questioningly.

"Well, for starters you're really nice and understanding. You're willing to listen and help out others, you're loyal, honest, diligent, and overall easygoing. Sure, you might lash out on others when you're really stressed or upset, you have issues managing your budget, can be easily manipulated by others, and be occasionally lazy,"

"Well that's reassuring."

"But you're charming to the point where others are hypnotized by you and your words, Jill. You have a sense of integrity, justice, patience, kindness, and perseverance that is unwavering... p-plus y-you're really, um... cu-cute..." he blushes profusely as I register what he just said to me. 'He thinks I'm cute? Hahaha, oh boy... if anyone's the cute one here it's you, Ollie boy.' I smile mischievously, "Aw, Ollie, you flatter me. Though, I'm sure we all know who the cutest one is here." I smirk as I state at him.

"O-oh? Who are you talking about?"

"I'm sure you know who it is that I am referring to, but I suppose I could tell you," I lean over closer to his ear as he's driving and whisper, "You, hun, are adorable." As I lean back into my seat and wink at him I notice his blush darken and I chuckle to myself, 'Looks like someone gets easily flustered.'

"W-well, would you look at that. Looks like we're here. Seems the others have been waiting outside for us." Oliver finds a parking space in front of the restaurant and quickly gets out of the car. I follow him out and notice five familiar faces at a table outside the fast food place. I call out to them as I approach them closer, "Hey, guys! Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"Jill!" Three of them run over to my side while Oliver brushes past and takes a seat by the other two. Monica, the girl with black hair tied into buns and wears black flats, a blue long sleeve top and light pink skirt, nearly knocks me over my feet when she pills me in for a hug, "What took you so long? You had us all worried sick. You didn't have another panic attack, did you? Normally you're pretty punctual when it comes to social gatherings and the like."

"Sorry. I kinda lost track of time this morning from watching the news, hehe." I smile and shrug.

"Really? You got distracted by watching the news? And here I was thinking it was because some bad people had kidnapped you and I would have to go kick some ass." Like, the brunette wearing a bandana, biker gloves, and orange jacket smirks with his arms crossed.

"Luke, seriously? Although, I guess if that does actually happen then I would be there just so that I can give them whatever treatment they deserved." The other brunette girl with braided hair, a Brown scarf, yellow sweater best, cowboy hat, and cowboy boots speaks up.

"Hey, Jacklyn and Luke. How've you guys been?" I ask.

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Elise is working as a teacher in the newest elementary school they built, Allen's spending his time working as an astrophysicist, Monica is taking ballet lessons and performing at local theatres, I'm working out a few murder and theft cases, and Luke over here got a job as a daredevil stunt for a local motorcyclist group." Jacklyn replies.

"Sweet." I give a thumbs up and grin.

"I know, right?! I get to do tons of dangerous stunts in front of thousands of other people and experience a hella adrenaline all at the same time! It's gonna be sick!" Like dust bumps the air in excitement. I chuckle at his response, "Just make sure you don't throw up while you're doing sick stunts. Wouldn't want others to feel gnarly, right?" I budge Monica's elbow earning a few stifled giggles from her. The others just groan in response. "Aw, come on guys, that one wasn't that bad. In fact, I'd say it was pretty ice if you ask me." They begin to turn and walk away from me, "Yeesh, no need to give me the cold shoulder."

Monica bursts into fits of laughter, "Icy what you did there."

"Wow, that was good. Very punny, but I've got a better one." I say.

"Really? Lay it on me." she confidently says.

I clear my throat and say, "Knock knock."

"Who's there?" she asks.

"Scold." My grin grows wider as I respond.

Monica looks at me with puzzlement, "Scold who?"

"Scold enough out here to go ice skating." And with that we both burst into fits of giggles at our childish, bad puns.

"Ugh, are you two done yet?" Luke groans.

"Hey, it's not my fault my puns are so punderful. Besides, seven days without a pun makes one weak." I shrug and Monica chuckles as Jacklyn and Luke sigh, "Alright, I'm done. For now. Let's go take a seat and order up some donuts and coffee. I'm starving!"

I walk up to the table and sit between Oliver and Elise, a strawberry blonde wearing a red ribbon and aqua blue dress. She is sitting with her hands folded and legs crossed as she reads a book about myths and legends. Across from her is Allen, a blonde wearing glasses, a purple turtleneck sweater, and white coat. He is tapping on the table pensively with a pencil, occasionally scribbling notes in his notebook he always carries around. Jacklyn sits down beside Oliver and Luke sits next to her.

I ask, "So, does everyone know what they want?" Elise and Allen nod and speak, "Bagel with cream cheese and medium Hazelnut coffee."

"Bacon, egg, and cheese wrap, hash browns, and medium got latte." Luke answers.

"Medium iced tea with scrambled egg and cheese with sausage served on an English muffin." Jacklyn replies.

"A medium cappuccino with a blueberry muffin." Monica says.

"I'll have a turkey, cheddar, and bacon flatbread sandwich with a medium iced tea, please." Oliver politely asks.

"Okay, so two bagels with cream cheese, two medium Hazelnut coffees, one bacon, egg and cheese with sausage on an English muffin, two medium iced teas, one blueberry muffin, and a medium cappuccino." I breathe in deeply by the time I finish the orders, trying to refill my lungs with air, "Alright, which one of you wants to come with me to help get the stuff and make sure I don't screw up any orders?" Oliver opens his mouth, but Allen responds quicker after shutting his notebook, "I'll go. Only if that's alright with you, of course." He pushes his glasses up firmly with his index finger.

"Sure thing, Al." Without warning, he takes my hand and leads me into the shop. Just as I enter I see a very familiar face. Someone I had not seen in a very, very long time. Allen walks ahead, letting go of my hand as I freeze in place as I watch the familiar person approach me. He stops right in front of me and I address him by his name, "Chara?"


	2. Chapter 2

An Old Best Friend of Mine and a New Acquaintance

"Chara?" I ask the person standing before me. He was wearing a green and yellow striped sweater. His ruby eyes stare down into mine and he smiles, "Long time no see, Jill. You haven't changed a bit since I last saw you when you were in middle school."

"What's that supposed to mean? And why are you here? Didn't you move to a different foster care in Washington D.C.?" I put my hands on my hips and squint at him.

"Nothing, but I thought you would've gotten taller, but you're still as short as I remember. Also, yeah. I did move to D.C, but after a few years I moved back here with my adoptive family."

"Hey! I'm not that short. Technically I'm the average height of a female." I pout at him.

He just shrugs then asks, "How tall are you again?"

"Five feet and two inches..." I mumble.

"Yeah, exactly. But don't worry. I think you're adorable since you're so short. Besides, I can do this." he leans down and kisses my forehead. 'What's with everyone calling me adorable today? Not that I don't like it. Also did Chara just do something that I had least expected?'

"Why did you do that? And did you just say adoptive family?" I tilt my head as I rest my hand on the place he kissed it.

"I did it because I could and you're too cute to resist. And yeah, I have an adoptive family now living near the city. What about you?"

I let out a sigh and gaze away from him, "Nobody adopted me, so I spent all my time at the orphanage trying to avoid the evil foster caretaker until I turned eighteen. I was kicked out, but luckily I managed to survive with the job I had and money I saved. So, after graduating high school, I used leftover money and scholarships to attend the state university."

"Must've been tough, huh? But why did nobody adopt you? You're a smart kid with a good heart."

"Well, first off, I was almost a teenager when I got into the orphanage and nobody really wanted to take care of a kid who is dealing with mood swings and hormonal problems. Secondly, people always said I was too smart for my own good and that it would cause too much trouble for others. Lastly, the evil foster caretaker made sure that I would not get adopted by anyone by tampering with my documents."

"Well, I guess people were too stupid to realize how amazing you are. Also, did the care taker get caught for that?"

"Only two years later after I got kicked out." I look back to him as I respond quickly.

Chara sighs and I hear him mumble something about humans and hatred. He looks back down at my face and says, "Well, at least you're not that bad." he pats my head.

"Um, thanks? I'm not sure what that's supposed to suggest, but I'll take it as a compliment." he chuckles then snaps his fingers, "Oh, yeah. I have something to tell you. Though, you might want to finish up whatever you're doing here first."

"Okay?" I raise an eyebrow, "This isn't one of your crazy plans to create a fake corpse to trick people into scaring them, is it?"

"Hahahahaha. No. Though, it would be fun to prank people again, it's actually something that you might want to know. Or at least hear out."

"Alright. Should we meet up somewhere after my job interview or go to my apartment?" I ask.

"The same place we used to meet up at as kids."

"Mmkay." I agree.

"Alright. See ya later, beautiful!" He waves goodbye as he walks out of the shop.

"See ya!" I wave back then turn and walk over to the counter where Allen is waiting.

"Sorry 'bout that. Did you make the order already?"

He nods then says, "Who was that?"

"Oh, right. You haven't met him. He's a close friend of mine. We met each other when we were both in the orphanage. He always looked after me and helped me out, though he had a violent and creepy way of doing it. Why do you ask? You jealous?" I tease him with a smug grin.

"Um, no?" his face is an emotionless canvas.

"That doesn't sound so confident, Al. I think you are just in denial." I poke his shoulder while pouting

"Whatever you say, Jill." He smirks as he pushes up his glasses. I stick out my tongue at him then the waitress at the counter comes back with our food. After thanking her we walk back out to the table where the others were sitting. We talk about our jobs, the news, and Monica ends up starting a pun war with me, which I win. About an hour and a half later, I leave say goodbye to my friends and Oliver drops me off back at my apartment.

"Let me know if you need anything. And remember, we're here for you no matter what happens." He pills me into a tight hug and after a brief moment we part ways.

"Well, time to get ready for my job." I sigh as I unlock the door and walk into the apartment. Once inside, I go to my room and get out my uniform then change. I double check my appearance then head out to my car. Thirty minutes of blasting the car radio later, I arrive at Starbucks. When I go inside I am greeted by none other than a tall black haired woman, Jenna Bates; the one person I least wanted to run into.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little orphan girl. Have you gotten adopted yet? No? Of course not. I mean just look at you," she gestures at my clothes and hair, "No one would want a hipster freak like you. Serves you right for your parents abandoning you, bitch." She cackles then turns her heel, walking back to her group of "friends." I sigh, 'Too bad I can't talk back or sweep her a as to the floor. Curse my good-natured personality and kindness.' I walk back into the employee entrance and go behind the counter. For two hours I take orders from random customers until I see a strange, tall, and skeletal figure walk in. I observe his appearance. His face is a ghastly white with two scars. One crossing down to his right eye and the other below his left. He wears thin framed glasses, a light brown scarf, a long, white lab coat, black pants, and turtleneck shirt. His eyes are black except for the tiny, white pinpricks that look like pupils.

"Ugh, great. Another one of these monster freaks." I Jenna mumble under her breath. Everyone in the shop stare at the tall skeleton while making rude comments about him. When he walks past people turn away from him only to continue gossiping amongst themselves. My manager looks at him with disdain, but he goes back to talking with the other workers. 'This is really pissing me off. These people are being so judgmental and prejudice against this guy just because of his species. Sure he might look different from us, but that doesn't mean he could be a bad guy.' I snap back to reality when I notice the skeleton standing in front of me speaking, "Are you alright, miss? You seem a bit out of it." His voice was a smooth baritone that would make any girl's knees buckle.

"Oh. Oh my god. I am sorry. I kinda sort of have a tendency to think to myself a lot and sometimes that causes me to space out and get lost in my own little world. Then I forget about my own surroundings and…" I notice my manager looking at me impatiently. Then the skeletal man waves his glove covered hand, "Um, human?"

"Oh, right," I clear my throat then say, "welcome to Starbucks, sir. What would you like to order?"

"One vanilla Frappuccino, a Teavana shaken iced passion tango tea, BBQ beef brisket, and a chicken BLT sandwich, please." He talks politely with his hands folded on the counter.

"Will that be all?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Do you want it here or to go?"

"To go, please."

"Alright, then." I give the order to the people in the back then turn and stand awkwardly. "So, uh, I'm really sorry about earlier, hehe…" my social awkwardness kicks in and I avoid eye contact with him.

He chuckles and speaks, "It's alright, dear. I tend to… how did you put it? Ah, yes, get lost in my own little world when I am working as well." His voice somewhat eases my tension and awkwardness, but not much as I try to think of something to say. I look out the window and notice that it's snowing. Then an idea pops into my head, "So do you get chilled to the bone at all or does the wind go right through you?" I just realize how bad that sounds after saying it and mentally scold myself until I saw him covering his mouth and his shoulders shake. "Um, Are you alright?" I ask with concern.

He looks up at me then snorts out a giggle, his face is covered with a purple his which I assume is him blushing, "Oh my… that- that was… that was awful, though I have heard worse from a colleague of mine. In fact, he tells jokes of a similar caliber."

My face heats up and I reply, "Even though it was terrible it still made you laugh, right?"

He chuckles again, "Indeed." He gives me a goofy smile. 'Wait, do skeletons even smile? How do they eat things without tongues or stomachs?' I stare at the counter letting my mind wander then the waitress came over and brought his order, putting it on in front of him. She gives him a nasty glare, which goes unnoticed by the skeleton. 'Move along, bitch. Don't you know it's rude to stare?' I so badly want to tell her off as my smile falters and brow twitches. The lady walks away back to the kitchen. I hand the food and drinks over to him and smile, "Here you go, sir. That'll be $34.95."

He takes out a wallet from his pants pocket then pulls out some gold coins, "Hopefully this should be enough."

'Right. Monsters have a different currency than us. Um, let's see. If I convert this to dollar bills then...' It takes me some time to do the calculations in my head, but I manage to do it in less than three minutes. "Um, I think you gave me a little too much, sir."

"It's alright. Consider it a tip for the friendly conversation we had." he smiles brightly and I can't help but find him adorable. However, it hit me that everyone has been rather rude to him and that causes me to feel resentment towards my own species, and pity towards this skeleton.

"Well, thank you sir. It was a pleasure speaking with you, mister...?"

"Ah, right. I don't believe I properly introduced myself. I am W.D. Gaster. Though, you can just call me Gaster since it is easier than my full name." he introduces himself politely.

"Well, Gaster, I hope you have a good afternoon!" I wave at him and he waves back, "Thank you. I wish the same for you, miss Jill."

'Wait how did he...?' realization hit me that I had a name tag on my apron the whole time, 'Wow. I am really observant, aren't I?' my conscious speaks with sarcasm. As soon as Gaster leaves, the manager walks over to me and taps my shoulder, "We need to talk." And so I end up standing in the back room in front of him. He crosses his arms as he glares daggers at me.

"What the hell was that?! You do realize that we're trying to run a business here, right? Not some damn romantic comedy show. Not only did you space out on a customer again, but you also served some monster freak and because of that this business could go downhill!"

"Well, maybe you should take a good look at yourself, you goddamn prejudiced bastard." I mutter as I scowl at the ground.

"What was that?" he looked at me with a suspicious glint in his eye.

"Nothing, sir," I fake a smile as I speak, "And about earlier, I promise I won't do anything like that again."

"Damn right you won't because I'm giving you the pink slip."

"What?" I stare at him trying to hold in my rage.

"Are you deaf or something? I said I'm giving you the pink slip. You're fired."

"Alright, fine. I get it. You don't want me working my ass off for you anymore just because I was being polite to a customer."

"Customer? That thing? That skeletal freak is a monster, not a customer."

"Look who's talking, you apathetic prick. You're just scared of things you don't understand and are different from others. Therefore, you pick and prey on every little thing you find that's unique and hard to comprehend. You're so scared of the unknown that you turn your back to it and treat it with ignorance. Haven't you ever considered putting your own shoes in someone else's place, let alone a monster's? Of course not, because you're blinded by the outer appearance and rumors about things that can't be explained. So, therefore, you conform to society's view on the world and monsters instead of going out and forming your own opinions. And you know what really sickens me? The fact that most, if not, all humans have mistreated their own kind and monsters all because of how different their culture and appearance is. If anyone here is the monster, it's you and every other person in this place." I snap at him after hearing what he just said. Gaster may be a monster, but he's polite and more human than anyone I've met besides my friends.

"Those are some big words coming from a filthy orphan like you." he points accusingly at me with his grubby, white fingers.

"Yeah, well, I actually have a higher education than most of the people here, you white trash." I knew I hit a mark after seeing him flinch at my words.

"Alright, that's it. Leave, now before I call the cops." he threatens me and I just cross my arms and roll my eyes.

"Fine. I was going to quit this job anyways, since some people here aren't customer friendly." So I leave, but not before I toss my apron at him and curse him out. 'So much for trying not to lose my job for the third time...' I walk out to my car, giving Jenna the most intimidating stare I can muster, and head home to prepare for my job interview. 'Hopefully I can get this job and not have to hunting for new ones.' I sigh as I drive out of the parking lot. Unfortunately, the interview did not go as well as I had hoped. I lost the job to someone with more "experience." Seriously? Someone with more experience than me? I already worked three jobs and someone who only worked one got hired? Well, I guess there are better people out there than me. After all, I'm not perfect, no one is. Especially since I... no, nope. I'm not gonna think about that right now. I have more important things to deal with than my own negative thoughts. Once I am back home I receive a text message from Chara.

"Hey, Jill, where are you?" I read it and my eyes widen, 'Crap. I completely forgot about this. Alright, okay. Just tell him you got side tracked, not giving out specific details, and everything will turn out fine.'

"I'm really, really sorry. I completely forgot about meeting you after my interview. A lot of things happened today that caused me to lose track of certain things. I'll be there soon." I quickly reply to his message in hopes that he won't be too upset with me.

"Seriously? You forgot about me? What a great friend you are. I'm not going to talk to you for a whole year after this." I panic after reading the text and type, "You don't really mean that, do you?"

"Lol. You are so gullible. It's just too cute. Of course I don't mean that, doll. It's a joke. Though, I have to admit your reaction was really adorable."

"XP Meanie. That joke was terrible."

"That was a really childish comeback, dork. Now r u gonna come over here, or am I going to have to drag your sweet ass over myself?"

"Okay, okay. I'll be there. Give me half an hour, alright." I laugh in response to his text, then head back out. I go to the place where Chara and I used to hang out at. It was an abandoned tree house we found when we would run away from the orphanage. Occasionally, we would put our own personal belongings in there, such as my journals, sketchbooks, toys, and various other objects we would find when exploring the woods that the care taker wouldn't let us keep. Chara hid his pocket knife and heart-shaped locket in a special oval-shaped box, which he stored in the tree house, his real parents gave him before they died. Those moments were probably the best ones I have besides the ones I had before I lost my parents and got separated from my younger sister. I exit the car then climb up the ladder. Chara is waiting for me beside a table with a bunch of books on it. The place still looks as it did when we were younger save for a few new objects and posters I placed around the room when I would come to clear my head. "Looks like you've redecorated a bit." Chara examines the room as he leans against the table.

"Yeah. I mean, someone had to keep this place in good condition since you were not around."

"I like it. It gives off a sort of laid-back, nerdy kind of feel, ya know?" he begins to walk around the place looking at various posters, books, comics, anime and video games placed on the walls and shelves. "Isn't that a Deadpool poster?" he points to one of them with the masked mercenary holding up dual pistols.

"Yeah. A lot of this stuff I found at some junkyards and occasionally bought from stores with the extra money I get after paying off my expenses." I tell him as I take a seat in a purple bean bag by the entertainment shelf with a 20" tv on it and ps3, "So, you said you wanted to tell me something? Or are we just gonna sit around and talk nonsense? Honestly, I'd be fine doing anything if it's with you."

He looks to me and a red hue appears on his face as he grins wickedly, "Oh, really? Anything?" It took me a minute before I realized the way I worded that sentence, "Chara, get your mind out of the gutter. You know what I mean."

"Pfft. Whatever. It's your loss, beautiful," he paces around then plops onto the bean bag next to me, "Anyways, so... the thing I want to tell you is that, well... I know where your sister is and I can help you get her back."


	3. Chapter 3

Chara's Proposal and Dinner with Gaster

"Wait, you know Frisk's whereabouts? How? Why?" I look at him dumbfounded.

"You've seen the news, right?" he glances over my direction

"Are you telling me that Frisk, my Frisk was the one on the news?" I ask him still in shock. If it really is her, then maybe, just maybe…'

"Yeah. As for how and why I know I have an acquaintance of mine that has heard through the grapevine that you're looking for her. She tends to gossip a lot about things and happened to overhear a conversation I was having the other day with Monica. So, she wants to try and help you get back together with your sister." He smirks as he plays with the pocket knife he took from the silver box.

"Chara, thanks… but, to be honest, I really don't think this is a good idea." I look away from him. My thoughts turn dark and years threaten to fall from my eyes, "After everything that happened and everything I done, how do I know if she'll forgive me?"

"Jill, you're still blaming yourself for what happened? It wasn't your fault." He gets up and kneels in front of me reaching his hand to my cheek. I pull away and shout, "It is my fault! I always ended up fighting my parents and argued with them. And when my father would abuse both of them I would just hide behind the corner and whimper like a fucking coward! I'm scared, Chara. I am so scared of what others think and say about me. I'm scared that everyone might leave me behind if they found out what I'd said and done. It's pathetic…"

I feel something warm wrap around me and my eyes widen. When I look up I see that Chars had embraced me, "Just trust me, please? Besides, It's not your fault. It's his. And you were too young to do anything anyways. Anyone that was your age and had gone through that would've felt the same way you did. So stop blaming yourself for what happened because you are better than what You think you are. There people out there who really care about you… I care about you."

"I-I know, but i-it's ha-ard." I sob harder and he tightens his grip, telling me everything will be alright. I want to believe him, but it's hard to when I already know that good things never last and you can't fully heal something that's already been broken. A few minutes pass and my crying subsides, fading into soft whimpers. "As for Frisk, from what I hear, she's pretty kind and very forgiving just like you. Why else would she have been adopted by monsters? So cheer up, okay. You two will get along nicely."

"But what about the queen? Would she be as accepting as her?" I ask as different possibilities run through my head of what could happen.

"She'll be excited to know that she'll have another kid like you." He ruffles my hair and I giggle.

"So how am I going to get back to Frisk? Do you have a plan or are we going to just wing it?" I let go of him as I speak.

"Well, I told my acquaintance about you and she said that she would be willing to meet up with you to talk about it. Apparently she knows Frisk personally after seeing her regularly at her bakery. She mentioned that Frisk talks about you a lot to her and that she misses you."

"She does?" I feel a mixture of joy and anxiety bubble up through my body and lean in smiling at him.

"Yeah. Anyways, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Well, I have to go hunting for a new job, do some chores, and then I have classes at the university in the afternoon. Why'd you ask?"

"I was wondering if you wanna come with me to meet up at the bakery with my acquaintance. We can get some sweets if you're interested?"

"Sounds good. So what's the name of the bakery?"

"Muffet's Gourmet Shop. It's not too far from the shopping district and should take you about two or three hours to get there."

"Alright. I'll try to get there around nine or ten o'clock."

"Sounds good. By the way, you said a lot happened today. Usually when you text that something happened it's either really good or really bad. Though most the time it's really bad. Did someone cause you trouble or something?"

'Ugh, I was hoping he wouldn't ask.' I slide further down into the bean bag and reply, "Yeah… I lost my job for the third time this year."

"Really? What happened this time?" Chara chokes out a giggle and smiles.

"It's not funny Chara! Anyway, my manager was a douche and decided to fire me all because of his own prejudice towards monsters. A skeleton walked into the coffee shop, we talked a bit, then my manager called me into the office and fired me all because of a polite conversation I had with him. Out of all the stupid reasons to fire someone he used the monster racism excuse!" I stand up, passionately expressing my fury.

"You know, I could take care of him if he's causing you trouble." He holds up his knife and grins evilly.

"But if you do that then you might and up in jail or worse and I won't see you as often," I pout, "besides, that guy doesn't deserve to die, Even if he is an asshole. All lives matter. Well, maybe not all, but most."

"There you go with that pacifism crap. But I guess that's the reason I like you because it just makes you irresistible." He rests his head into his palm as he crosses his legs together and grins.

"Aw, aren't you just the sweetest." I smile as I tease him, "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Have fun doing whatever."

"Oh, hold up a sec." Chara puts his hand on my shoulder just as I turn to leave.

"What's up?" I look back at him.

"You lost your job, right?" his demeanor is serious as he speaks.

"Yeah? And?" I look at him quizzically.

"Muffet at the bakery has been looking for new people to hire. So when we go to meet her tomorrow you can ask her if she'd be willing to hire you. That way you won't have to spend a whole month looking for a job and it would be a way of compensating for her help. What do you say?"

"Sounds like a deal." I hold out my hand and we shake on it. Then we both laugh, "Alright, I better get going. See ya later, Chara."

"Adios, bella." he blows me a kiss and I smirk in response, climbing down the ladder and walking back to my car. 'Hopefully everything goes as well as Chara says.' On the way home I decide to make a stop at a diner and grab a bite to eat. When I arrive, after parking my Honda Civic, I see the same skeleton I saw earlier at my previous job as I get out. He gets out of his car and, as he does, he notices me. He waves and I wave back reluctantly. Then he begins to walk up to me. Gaster stops about a foot in front of me and smiles as he says, "Hello again, Jill. I hope you don't mind if I use your name without honorifics."

"It's fine. I don't mind at all, Mr. Gaster," I smile back at him, tilting my head back enough to make eye contact with him, "I am really sorry about earlier, again."

"Whatever for, dear?" he clasps his hands as he looks at me in confusion.

"That awkward conversation earlier and the bad joke I told you." sheepishly, I stare at the ground and fumble with the zipper of my jacket.

His eyes widen, then the same goofy smile he wore earlier appears on his face as he laughs, "My dear, you certainly are a strange one. If anything, the conversation we had earlier was one of the most enjoyable I had today besides the ones with my brothers. Also, just call me Gaster. It is only fair to call me by my name since I do the same with you." his words cause my face to heat up. I stare at him then quickly look down and say, "Thanks... I guess, Gaster." Gaster chuckles then I ask, "Wait, you have brothers? How many? Are they older or younger than you?"

"Well, you certainly are a curious one. I have two younger brothers, both of which get along well with one another. In fact, they are practically inseparable from each other. And me, of course. Those two, however, are as close as siblings could ever be."

'That sounds a lot like how Frisk and I were before we got separated. I really miss her...' My gaze drifts off as melancholy and nostalgic memories flood my consciousness. Gaster looks down at me in distress, "Jill, are you alright? Did I say something to offend you?" his soothing voice calms my nerves and pulls me back into reality. "Oh no. I'm fine. It's just... you talking about your brothers brought up a lot of nostalgic memories for me, that's all." I try to smile as a way to reassure him of my feelings, though tears threaten to overflow like a broken dam.

"Oh, I see... I am sorry. I did not know that something like that was a very personal topic to you." his tone becomes somber and his expression is solemn.

"It's okay. It's not your fault since you didn't know," I swipe a hand over my eyes to dry my tears, "So, um, are you here to get something to eat? 'Cause I can pay the bill for you if you are."

"You don't have to do that for me, dear."

"I know, but... I insist. Besides, consider it a tip for the friendly conversation we had." I smirk as I recall what he had said earlier when he gave me the extra cash. He shakes his head in amusement and I offer my hand to him, "Shall we, Gaster?" instead of grabbing my hand like I thought he would, he pulls me closer and locks his elbow to mine, "Of course, dear." both of us walk into the diner blushing and grinning like idiots. We earn a few odd and bemused stares as we sit down in a red colored, leather booth. I look at the menu that was placed down by a very unhappy waiter. Occasionally I glance over at Gaster sitting across from me. He has his legs crossed and hands clasped together under his chin. In a way, he looks very sophisticated and classy as he stares down at the menu lost in thought. 'Well, he certainly is handsome and cute.' I smile then look back into my menu. After a few minutes we decide on our orders and the waiter comes back, asking us what beverages we want and if we decided on our order. I ask for a strawberry milkshake while Gaster asks for some golden flower tea. Then we place in our orders.

The whole time we are there I tell a few bad puns and jokes and we talk about our interests. I find out that Gaster likes science, especially quantum physics, as he talks about Einstein's theory of relativity, wave particle duality, unified field theory, and the big bang. I also make a few comments about my own input on the subject and talk about the possibility of multiverses, alternate universes, time travel, and the possibility of finding life outside our solar system. Gaster seems to be impressed and fascinated by how much I know and understand.

"My dear, not only are you kind and humerus, but you are also very intelligent." he rests his head in his palm as he stares at me.

"Thank you. By the way that was a very good skeleton pun. It really tickled my funny bone." I chuckle to myself then give him an idiotic smirk. Gaster also chuckles, giving me a small smile. Then a strange ring tone plays and he pulls out his phone from his coat's pocket, "Ah, excuse me for a moment, Jill." he answers the call and I wait patiently, tuning into the conversation, "Hello? Ah, Papyrus. Is everything alright, brother? Oh. I am terribly sorry. I completely forgot about it. I'll be there soon. By the way, how is Sans? I see... I'll have to talk to him when I get home. I shall call you later once I get there. Goodbye, brother. See you soon." he ends the call then turns over to me, "Sorry about that, dear. Looks like our meeting has been cut short,"

"That's okay. Those were your brothers, right? I'm sure they'll be happy to see you once you make it back home. Besides, I don't want to keep you too long. After all, family comes before friends." I say with a smile.

"You are far too kind, Jill. Thank you." he gets up to leave, but then turns back towards me, "I almost forgot to ask. Would you like to exchange phone numbers? I loved conversing with you and would especially like to spend time with you again, if you do not mind it, of course."

His charm and politeness is just too cute, making it impossible to refuse his offer, "Sure. I would love to hang out with you again." I hand him my phone and he gives me his. We both put our numbers in then exchange them back.

"Thank you again, dear. I'll be sure to message you soon." Gaster walks out the diner as he waves goodbye.

"No problem, Gaster. It was nice meeting you and I'll be sure to reply to your message!" I shout out in excitement, ignoring the menacing and disgusted glares some people are giving me. The waiter hands me the bill begrudgingly and I leave the required amount plus a little extra cash as a tip. Then, I gather my things and head out, giggling happily like a high school girl whose confession had just been accepted by her crush. I drive back home and, once I get there, change into my lavender nightgown, take off my glasses, and fall into my bed. I fall into a deep slumber.

Suddenly I jolt up from my bed in fright. I've had another nightmare. This time I dreamt that everyone I've ever known and loved had betrayed me. They mocked me then I... I saw them disappear one by one... they all died by my own hands. And there was laughter. Sick, twisted laughter coming from a young boy with crimson eyes. I sob as I recall the disturbing nightmare. Goosebumps begin to form on my arms and legs. A chill runs down my spine. 'It's just a bad dream. It's not real. None of it is real.' I repeat these words in my head as I sit in fetal position, but in the back of my mind there is a seed of doubt questioning my thoughts. I can't go back to sleep, so I start pacing around my room with the lamp turned on. I read some novels, work on solving jigsaw puzzles, draw, play games, even hum to myself to keep my thoughts from wandering to the darker side of my consciousness. I change into a casual, loose, pastel pink blouse and cream colored skirt. I grab a white scarf, gloves, and earmuffs with my white, loose, and long pea coat, placing them downstairs by the coat hanger beside my door, By the time it's six o'clock I put on the news. I make myself some coffee as I listen to reporters talking about rising anti-monster gangs and riots occurring in the downtown area of Harrisburg.

'As far as I'm concerned, monsters haven't done anything hurtful against the humans after the monster war was won, so why bother causing them trouble? Sure, they may look strange and some even scary, but there has been no mention of any of them assaulting a human or hurting them on purpose. Plus, they are just like us. They have families, friends, and emotions just like humans.' I sigh as I sit back on the couch, placing my coffee onto the table. 'The human race is so messed up and ignorant. Though, not all of them are bad, just a lot of them.' I think about my friends and sister as I take a sip from my mug.

Suddenly, I receive a message from my phone as it vibrates on the coffee table, I pick it up and read the text. As I thought, there was a message from Gaster sent about five minutes ago while I was making coffee and a new one from Chara. My eyes scan the texts.

The first one, from Gaster, read "Hello, Jill. It was nice talking to you yesterday evening. I hope you had a decent night's worth of sleep. I am wondering if you'd be willing to meet me and my brother this weekend at his favorite bar, Grillby's. Preferably during lunch on Saturday, if you are not too busy." the other one, from Chara, reads "Morning, beautiful. You ready for today? Muffet's been excited to meet you and I've already planned out some stuff for today. Let me know when you are about to leave. I'll see ya later, doll. Oh, and be safe on the road today. There's a lot of ice on the roads and I don't think I could bare it if anything were to happen to you." I reply to both of them, texting the first one, "Next weekend sounds good. I shouldn't be too terribly busy. Plus, it would be nice to meet your brother. Is only one of them coming or are both of them going to be there? And if so, which one?" then the second reply I send reads, "Alright, Chara. I'll see you in about two or three hours." After a couple of minutes my phone vibrates again. I pick it up and read the new message from Gaster, "Wonderful, and yes, only Sans will be there with me. Papyrus does not really like the restaurant his brother frequently visits. He says the food is too greasy for his tastes and that he has other plans for that day. Maybe another time you'll be able to meet him. I'm sure the both of them will be pleased to have you in their company." A smile creeps up onto my face as I read the text. I exit my messages after leaving a final text for him and notice the time on my phone. It was already eight o'clock so I got off from my couch, put on my coat and other accessories, and head out the door, grabbing my keys and large purse.


	4. Chapter 4

Spider Bake Sales and a Day Out with Chara

I arrive at Muffet's Gourmet Shop. The exterior is painted purple and there are various bake goods being displayed on racks by the windows. Chocolate, vanilla, and various other sweet scents emit from the shop and my mouth waters thinking about the delicious cakes, donuts, cupcakes, and sweets inside the shop. I feel a finger tap on my shoulder and turn around to see that it was a very familiar striped sweater. I look up, "Hey, Chara!" I greet him with a wave and smile.

"Hi, Jill. So, you ready for this?" he grins as he crosses his arms.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I say with little confidence.

"Eh, you'll be fine. Just be yourself. One more thing before we go in there. I forgot to mention this, but when we see Muffet, try not to freak out too much. She's a little... well... you'll find out when we go in." he grips my shoulders and leads me through the door.

"Um, okay...?" 'This isn't suspicious at all.' I stare at him with cautiously just before we enter. Once inside, my body freezes up in disturbance and shock. Spiders were crawling around on tables and counters, cleaning and giving other monsters baked goods...? Well I am probably more surprised than freaked out at this point. Then again, I've already met a walking, talking, and breathing skeleton man and there are monsters living in the city. Nowadays it seems anything could happen at this point and nothing should really surprise me. My eyes examine the shop, then stop on what looks to be a humanoid, spider girl with six arms holding tea cups and pots. She has what looks to be five eyes. Three in the center and the other two where eyes are normally supposed to be. Her skin is a pale purple and her black hair is tied into short pig tails with pink ribbons. She's wearing a maroon colored blouse, pink shirt underneath, and puffy, pink shorts. Once we walk closer I notice that she is the same height as me. I know it's rude to stare, but I can't help doing so. Things like this don't happen every day. It's not that I don't like spiders, well, actually that's a lie, but this one along with the ones in the shop seem so different from the ones I normally encounter and to see one that actually acts, talks, and walks like a human being peeks my interest. 'I guess monsters come in various shapes and sizes. I wonder if that means they have different abilities, too, depending on what they are and where they lived...' a sweet and girlish voice speaks up, pulling me out of my thoughts, "Why, hello Chara. And who's this dearie? Is she the one you and Frisk talk about?"

Chara nods his head then says, "Yeah, Jill, this is Muffet. My acquaintance I mentioned."

"Oh, come on, Chara. You and I both know we're more than acquaintances. We've known each other even before the king passed away. Ahuhuhu~" Muffet puts one of her free hands over her mouth as she giggles.

"You two knew each other? How? And who is this monster king I keep on hearing about from others?"

"Jill, just... just don't ask those questions, please. And Muffet, I thought I told you not to bring up that subject in front of others." he looks as though he is in pain and I can't help but feel a pang of guilt surge through my chest.

"Sorry, Chara..." I apologize as I grip his hand firmly to try and comfort him.

"I'm sorry, dearie. I tend to forget about that. After all, it isn't easy to forget something like that."

Chara shakes his head, sighs, then looks back at Muffet, "Anyways, yeah. This is Frisk's older sister." then he takes a seat by a table next to one of the windows and watches us talking.

"H-hello." I smile nervously as I wave.

"Ahuhuhu~ hello, dearie. You are a lot cuter in person than Chara described you to be. I can tell you are Frisk's sister just by how similar you two appear to be. Well, except that she is a lot taller and has different eye colors than you." she grins softly and waves back.

"Oh, uh, thanks. Hehe..." I scratch the back of my head, giving a closed eyed grin, "So, you're a spider, right? Must be pretty handy having all those arms to help serve customers, am I right?" Her mouth cracks into a smile and she giggles, "Ahuhuhu~ Dearie, you certainly remind me of Frisk and one of her close friends. They would always tell bad jokes like that."

"They may be bad, but as long as they make people smile then they're pretty punderrific. Besides, anyone who appreciates a bad joke has a lot of patience and integrity in my book." I chuckle in response.

"Well, I can tell that Chara wasn't lying when he said you are quite charming and easy-going, ahuhuhu~," Chara clears his throat, "Anyways, dearie, I have a plan to reunite you with your younger sister. Luckily this plan ties into you getting a job at my bakery so you'll be getting a new job to replace the one you lost. Since Asriel and Frisk come here regularly every week, you'll get a chance to see them and get close to them. Then, when the time comes, you'll be able to tell them everything."

"Um, okay, but how did you know I lost my job? And why can't I tell Frisk everything right away? How will I know when the right time will come to tell her everything?" questions run through my head and anxiety begins to build up.

"Trust me, you'll know, dearie. Besides, wouldn't it be strange for someone you haven't seen in ten years, whom you might no longer recognize, to walk up and tell you that they are your sister?"

"You've got a point."

"Exactly. If you take the time to spend time with Frisk she might eventually realize how similar you are to her sister after knowing more about you. Then everything will fall into place and work themselves out. By the way, Chara told me how good you are at baking and since I plan on hiring you, I would love to have another set of hands in the kitchen. If you're up to the challenge, of course. Ahuhuhu~"

"Sure. It'll be a piece of cake. Pun intended," I wink at her. She giggles while Chara tries not to smile, "I'm sure I won't be too frosty while working here. I'm usually pretty chill." I chuckle as I tell more horrible puns and both Chara and Muffet snort out laughter.

"Well, dearie, you got the job. If possible, I would like to see you start working here next Tuesday morning. You'll have off on the weekends and Monday." she grins after recuperating from her laughter.

"Sounds good. I'll definitely be here on time." I reply with a broad smile and a thumbs up.

"Ahuhuhu~ excellent dearie. Oh, and there is a uniform you'll have to wear so I'll need to get your measurements." she takes out measuring tape from a drawer under the counter then starts measuring my waist and chest, "That should be all. The uniform should be done before you start working, though you won't get it until then."

"Alright, thanks." I say.

"No problem. It's nice to talk to another human who is very polite for once, dearie. Is there anything else you need? Perhaps some spider treats before you leave? Ahuhuhu~" Muffet gestures to the shelf behind her stocked with boxes of cakes and donuts.

"You know me so well, Muffet. I'll take a dozen of those chocolate donuts to go." Chara gets up from his seat, walking up to the counter, and holding a wad of cash.

"Of course, dearie," she turns around and takes a box of chocolate donuts from the shelf down, handing it over to Chara, "Thank you for the cash and I'll see you two again, ahuhuhu~" Chara leads me out the bakery.

"So, where are we going?" I ask as we walk on the sidewalk, passing by a few monsters, people, and shops.

"Don't know, beautiful. I'm fine going wherever if it's with you." Chara nonchalantly replies as he grabs a donut from the box and takes a bite. I look around for a bit to find a place to hang out. Then I spot a park bench a few feet away from a snack vendor, "How about over there!" I point at the bench and Chara replies, "Sure." we walk over to the bench and sit. Chara holds the open box of donuts on his lap, occasionally taking one out and snacking on it. I look around, taking in the scenery. "Donut?" Chara holds up the treat in front of my face and I politely accept it, "Thanks." he hums, "Mhmm." I take a bite of the donut and my whole body starts feeling tingly and warm, "Whoa. This is different. What is this?"

"Magic." Chara looks at me smiling.

"Magic? But how...? Why...?"

Chara shrugs then says, "A lot of the food monsters eat contain some form of magic. Since monsters are made of magic it makes it easier for them to absorb things of the same magic principles. Of course, that doesn't mean that they're unable to eat human food. It's just a bit harder for them and it doesn't have the same healing effects."

"Healing? So monster food heals people?" Chara nods his head, "Cool." I smile, fascinated by this new found knowledge then something occurred to me, "Chara, how do you know about this stuff?"

He pauses for a second then answers, "Well, I kinda figured it out after regularly eating out at various monster joints." I can't help but feel some suspicion crawl into the back of my mind. I go back to eating my donut.

When I finish eating the donut I get out my sketchbook and start drawing the various monsters playing in the snow, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. "Nice cream! Get your nice cream here! There are over twenty-one different flavors! It's the frozen treat that'll warm your heart!" a blue rabbit standing by the vendor shouts in ecstasy.

"Nice cream? Seriously? In this weather?" Chara looks over at the vendor. I nudge his elbow and whisper, "Be nice, Chara." he just rolls his eyes and grumbles. I decide to get up and walk over to the vendor. "Hello, mister. I was wondering what exactly is nice cream. Is it some sort of ice cream or popsicle?"

he gasps in astonishment, "You've never heard of nice cream? It's only the greatest frozen monster treat besides Muffet's baked goods! Here, have a free sample, for you and your friend over there!" he happily hands me two nice creams. "Thank you, sir!" I say as I walk back over to the bench. "Thank you, ma'am! Come back again some time!" he shouts.

"I will!" I make a promise to see him again then sit back down next to Chara who is staring at me with irritation. "What?" I ask him. He sighs then says, "Nothing." I hold out the red colored nice cream in front of him, "Here, I got two free samples. One for you and one for me." he snatches it from my hand, grunting, then slowly licks the frozen treat. I unwrap my blue colored nice cream and read the text on the wrapper, "You look nice today!" I softly smile then put the popsicle in my mouth. I let out a moan and say, "Mmmm, so good..." I notice Chara had stopped eating his popsicle and is blushing fifty shades of red. "Um, Chara? You alright?" then I realize what has gotten him so shocked, "Oh my god. Chara! Seriously?! This is like the second time you thought of something dirty!"

"Hey, it's not my fault! The first time you said something that could literally be taken out of context. This time you made some really suggestive noises while eating a popsicle! I'm starting to think that you're doing this on purpose to try and turn me on." Chara exclaims as his face becomes redder.

"Oh my god. I can't believe you just said that!" I laugh so much that I nearly fall off the bench.

"I'm serious!" he stands up as his face flashes in embarrassment.

"Okay, okay. Look, I didn't do those things on purpose. Sometimes I don't exactly think about what I say or do so it leads to some misunderstandings like this one. Now are you gonna finish that nice cream before it melts or am I gonna have to finish it for you?" I let out a chuckle as I point at his treat.

"My nice cream." he puts the nice cream back in his mouth after glaring at me. I can't help but laugh at his response, then I go back to eating my nice cream. Once we're finished we throw away the wrappers and nice cream sticks in a nearby trash can. Before we leave Chara stares at me and leans in, "You've got some nice cream on your face. Let me get it for you." he grins mischievously then licks the corner of my mouth. 'Chara... Why? Just why...'

"What the fuck, Chara." I look at him with a blank expression as my face heats up and I try not to giggle.

"Whoa, beautiful. Easy on the language. There's kids around." he smirks in triumph.

"Yeah, like you really care about that. You've used some pretty foul language before when we were at the orphanage." I squint at him accusingly.

"Touche." Chara takes my hand and leads me into the park. He tells me to wait by a nearby tree stump and close my eyes. Then, after ten seconds, I feel something hard and cold hit my back. I open my eyes to see Chara hiding behind a snow fort holding a snowball and laughing. "Oh, it is so on..." I quickly build myself a snow fortress and create snowballs. I peek over the pile of snow and see a snowball hurling in my direction. I duck then throw a snow ball at Chara who falls backwards after getting hit. I laugh and smirk, "Are you okay over there? You're looking a little chilly. Did you catch a cold?"

"Haha. Very funny. How would you like a snowball to the face?" He tosses a snowball up and down as he gives a cheeky smirk.

"How 'bout no." I say then throw a snowball at him which hits his chest hard. He falls backwards coughing and grasping his chest, "Ow…" his eyes are shut tight as he rolls around on the ground.

"Ch-Chara?!" I rush over to his side, "Are you okay?"

He opens his eyes, "Psych!" a snowball smashes into my face and Chara gets up, laughing, "Oh man, that was great! You should've seen the look on your face. It was priceless!"

My smile grows wide, then I have a wicked idea. I pick up some snow and say, "Chara, this is snow joke. You could've seriously been injured."

"Seriously, Jill? You had to say that." He rolls his eyes.

"Of course. Look, Chara, I'm not trying to give you the cold shoulder or anything, but I feel as though this might cool you down. Take this!" I throw the snow onto him and laugh. It takes him a second to realize the prank I pulled on him then he giggles. We both lay in the snow laughing and grinning like maniacs. After some time, the laughter dies down and I say, "Well, that was fun. Do you know what time it is?"

Chara pulls out his phone from his bag, "About twelve o'clock. When do your classes start?"

"Meh, we've got time. They don't start until three. Wanna get some lunch? I'll pay for it since you brought the donuts." I say as I get up and offer my hand to him, giving a warm smile.

He takes it and I pull him up from the ground, "Sure, beautiful. Where do you wanna go?"

"How about we go to that new place that opened up. That monster resort with those restaurants inside." I tell him.

"You mean MTT resort?" Chara gives me a strange look and I just nod.

"Alright, but I'll be the one driving." Chara holds my hand and guides me to the passenger seat of my car. He opens the door for me and I get in, "Well aren't you such a gentleman."

He averts his gaze, scratches his chin, and mumbles, "Well, only for you I am..." I chuckle, 'Aw, so adorable,,,' he gets into the driver's seat and we drive off.


	5. Chapter 5

Meeting Mettaton and a Salty Chara

We arrive at the resort about an hour later. When we get out we see the tall and luxurious building with the MTT sign lit up in broad daylight. We walk inside and the first thing I notice is a fountain standing in the center of the lobby. It was a statue of some sort of robotic calculator with arms and a wheel. 'I wonder if that statue is supposed to be a representation of that famous robot that shows up on tv from time to time…'

"Well, we're here. I'm gonna go make some reservations real quick. Shouldn't take too long. Wait here, okay?" I nod in response and Chara walks off to the left into a fancy looking restaurant. While I wait, I decide to explore the lobby for a bit. In the upper right corner there is an elevator and beside that is some sort of fast food place being manned by a cat wearing a red uniform. Talking to him are two female monsters, an alligator and and a purple cat. On the other side is some sort of hand monster…? Who is working at the reception desk. Chara comes back and says, "Well this is a bummer. Seems like the reservations are all filled up."

"Aw, seriously? I guess we could go somewhere else to eat…" I think of other places we could go to that are nearby. Just then I hear the lobby door slam open as a very flamboyant and seductive sounding voice shouts, "Hello, darlings!" a robotic looking male in pink and black with long legs walks in. 'Isn't that robot that famous and new rising star I keep seeing on the news and tv shows?'

"Hello, Mettaton, sir!" the workers greet him happily. Well, except the cat that was working in the fast food place. The alligator and purple cat rush over, screaming his name and asking for autographs. 'Well, I guess that answers my question considering he just gave autographs to two random monsters.'

"Why, of course, darlings. I'd be happy to give my signatures to all my adoring fans." He signs their shirts and they faint. He chuckles then continues walking, but stops as soon as he sees us. Both Chara and the flamboyant robot stare at each other then the robot walks towards our direction.

"Why hello, Chara. Long time since I've talked to you. How are you?" he asks with a cocky smile.

"I'm fine, Mettaton. Though things could be better."

"Hmm, I see. And who is this lovely angel?" Mettaton gives me a charming and slightly seductive smile.

"Who?" Chara looks around him, "Sorry, but I don't see any angels around. Maybe a pudgy little girl, but I don't see anyone that matches your description." He grips my hand tightly behind him.

"Chara! That's not nice…" I fake a tear and pout.

"Is that so? Well, then you wouldn't mind me taking this pudgy girl out for lunch?" his cheeky smirk grows wider after seeing Chara recoil back and sputter out incoherent words.

Mettaton chuckles then looks to me and asks, "What is your name, darling?"

"J-Jill. Jill Clark."

"My, that is a wonderfully gorgeous name for an angel like you." He leans down and stares into my eyes. My face heats up at the compliment and I nervously reply, "O-oh? You think so? I mean I don't think I'm as charming or gorgeous as you are."

"Ohoho. You flatter me, beautiful. Of course no one is as charming as me, but you're pretty close to it, darling." He takes my hand and kisses it. 'Shit… Why are there guys trying to flirt with me today? I don't think my heart can handle anymore of this.' I feel my heart pound and face grow hotter, "Thanks." I notice Chara fake gagging in response to the scene being played out and I nervously laugh.

"So, darlings. What brings you two here to my resort?"

Chara sighs and rolls his eyes as I reply, "We're out for lunch."

"Yeah, and unfortunately the reservations at that restaurant have all been booked up." Chara says as he looks at Mettaton with a glint of irritation. Then he asks him with a very suggestive tone, "You wouldn't happen to be able to pull a few strings and help us out, would you?"

"I might be able to, though I would like something in return." Mettaton answers with a cheeky smile.

"Alright, name your price." Both Chara and I say in unison.

"I'll help you, darlings. But only if you two let me join you for lunch. Besides, It's been forever since I talked to you, Chara, and I would certainly love to get to know your lovely friend better." He comes closer to me with a genuine smile and takes a few strands of my hair, bringing it to his lips. I feel a bit nervous as I start to blush madly at the gesture. Chara looks as though he could kill, but is trying to hold himself back.

"Alright, sure. Besides, the more the merrier, right Chara?"

"Sure. Fine. Whatever. Let's just go." Chara sighs then storms off, dragging me and Mettaton back to the registration desk. We wait as Mettaton bribes the manager to let us in. After signing a few autographs and paying the manager, we are able to finally get in. There is low lighting in the restaurant creating a romantic and calm atmosphere. Various chairs and tables were standing apart from each other with candles adorning the tables. A stage was set in the top center of the room. Many different monsters are sitting in the place as another one is on stage doing a comedic act. At the center of the room there are four empty seats and a table. We sit in the empty chairs and a Mettaton calls over a waiter. The menu has items of food that I've never heard of before. 'Starfait... Glamburger...? What the heck even is a glamburger or starfait? Well, I guess I could find out...?' Once the waiter is at our table we place in our orders. I ask for a glamburger and starfait and Chara looks at me as though I said the strangest thing ever to even say. "What's with that look, Chara?" I giggle at his scrunched up face and he replies, "Uh, beautiful, are you sure you want to order that?"

"Yes…?" I say slowly and unsurely, giving Chara a look.

"Don't worry, angel. The glamburger is one of the most popular foods here right before the starfait parfait. They are absolutely fabulous!" Mettaton chuckles as he looks at me as though he had been hypnotized by some beautiful, shining precious gem. Chara rolls his eyes and mutters something about Mettaton and being obnoxious. The waiter leaves after taking the rest of the orders.

"So, darling, tell me about yourself." Mettaton leans on the table tentatively.

"Well, What would you like to know?" I ask.

"Hmm, Well, for starters you could start with what your hobbies are, your interests, and favorites." Mettaton says with a smile.

"That's a lot. Okay, well I like artsy stuff like drawing and writing. During my free time I play video games, watch anime and cartoons, and listen to music. I also like to go star gazing from time to time and look at constellations. I am also interested in astronomy and astrology. So, yeah. That's a thing." I awkwardly list off all my hobbies and interests. Chara just zones out, occasionally listening to me speak while glaring at Mettaton.

"What about favorite color?"

"Do you really have to ask that?" I sigh, but answer anyway, "I don't really have a specific color I like, so I'm just gonna say I like cool colors and pastels. So any shades of blue, purple, or green and sometimes pink."

"I see. What about food? Any preferences?" Mettaton asks.

"Food's good. I'm not too picky, but I do enjoy Italian, Chinese, and fast foods depending on the restaurant. I especially love desserts." I answer with a smile as my eyes light up at the word desserts.

"So you have a sweet tooth then. That's cute, darling."

I am about to reply, but Chara cuts me off, "'Course she has a sweet tooth. Why do you think she's so sweet to everyone she meets, especially to you." Chara rolls his eyes. 'Chara, seriously? You had to cut me off like that?'

"I'm sorry, darling, but I don't think I heard quite right what you said over the sound of jealousy in your voice." He remarks. A smirk is plastered on his face. 'What is with these two? Aren't they supposed to be friends? Why are they fighting?' I watch them nitpick at each other and frustration begins to pile up in my head. Chara then leans onto the table and says, "Pfft, jealous? Please, why would I be jealous of some robot made with a toaster, duct tape, nuts and bolts being controlled by a-" Mettaton swiftly covers Chara's mouth and I look at them curiously while trying to hide my irritation, "So are you two done trying to antagonize each other, or are you gonna keep doing this? Honestly, I hate seeing people fight each other verbally or physically, especially of it's two of my own friends. So, I'd appreciate it If you kiss and make up, alright?. They both look at me, sigh in unison, then mutter, "Fine."

"I'm sorry I said you were a robot made with a toaster made up of duct tape. And that I almost have away your secret." Chara reluctantly apologizes.

"And I am sorry that I called you jealous. Even though it is technically true. Also, I forgive you. Besides, what you said isn't entirely incorrect, Chara." I stare at Mettaton with an odd look, 'I wonder what he means by that... Was he really created from just a toaster and duct tape? And what's his secret that he doesn't want anybody to know? It probably would be best not to pry... I'm sure I'll find out eventually.' "Aren't you guys forgetting something?" I ask as an evil smile appears on my face.

"What's up, beautiful?"

"Yes, darling?"

"You two have made up, but you haven't kissed." I grin wickedly at the two in expectation. Their eyes grew wide then they looked at each other and back towards me. Both of them gulp in unison. Chara speaks up shyly, "C-come on, Jill. You're joking, right? Why would I want to kiss some dramatic piece of metal?"

"Darling, that's... well, as much as I love a good smooch and romance... I don't think I would kiss someone like him."

I close my eyes and huff, crossing my arms as I speak, "Well, I guess I'll be leaving early, then." Just as I get up to leave, both of them shout, "Wait!"

"Oh? Have you two changed your minds?"

Chara sighs, "Fine, but you owe me for this."

"I suppose... but only because you requested it." Mettaton hesitantly responds. Both of them turn to each other and lean in close. Chara puckers his lips as he inches towards Mettaton's cheek. I manage to pull out my phone and secretly record them. Just before Chara makes contact with Mettaton's cheek someone rushes by, accidently bumping into Mettaton's head. The action causes Mettaton's face to turn and his lips crash onto Chara's. I burst out laughing as I record what's happening. Everyone else in the room stares. Some start laughing, others look with curiosity, and some of the fans faint. "Jill!" Chara and Mettaton shout at me and try to reach for my phone, but I manage to post the video onto Youtube.

"Oh my god. D-did you just...?" Chara's face looks petrified.

"Oh no, I think she did." Mettaton's eyes are open wide with terror.

"Hahahahaha, o-oh man, that was- that was just priceless!"

"Jill. You don't get to have any of the strawberry cheesecake I planned on getting for you from the Cheesecake Factory next week." Chara blatantly scolds me.

"Wha-?! Seriously! Pfft, whatever. I can just get some from the store or make it myself."

"But it won't be the same." Chara smirks and chuckles.

"I know..." I sniffle then turn back to Mettaton whose face is turning hotter than a chili pepper. "Are you alright, Mettaton?"

"No, darling. I am so embarassed about what just happened. Oh, this is so horribly wrong... What if I become the laughing stock of the whole world or people start to misunderstand me? They might ridicule me for this..." he hangs his head low, covering his face with his hands.

"Well, hey. At least you'll still have fans who care about you. Besides, your ratings might go up. After all, you're a real show stopper and I'm sure you've mettaton of people who admire you." I touch his shoulder as I try to reassure him. Chara huffs as he watches my interactions with Mettaton.

"D-darling... Did- did you just... tell a bad pun using my name?" he looks back up at me.

"Yes, yes I did." I smile and nod my head.

"That was awful, darling." he shakes his head in disapproval.

"I know. But it helped you feel better, didn't it?" I ask.

"I suppose." a small smile appears on his face. I notice Chara glaring, but decide not to comment on it.

The waiter comes back with our food and I examine the glamburger. It's made with sequins and glue...? 'Why...? I probably shouldn't question anything anymore.' I reluctantly take a small bite of the sequins covered meat. Once it gets into my mouth I almost gag, but try to hold back as my face scrunches up at the odd texture.

"Well, darling, how is it?" Mettaton looks to me expectantly as Chara's shoulders are shaking, trying to hold in his laughter as he clutches his stomach. 'It's bad, really, really bad...' I swallow quickly, the sequins scrape against my throat, "I-it's really great. I can see why it's a really popular dish, hehe..." I manage to tell this to him with a convincing smile.

"Of course. After all, anything that is sold under the MTT brand must be as fabulous as myself and this resort." he says with beaming confidence.

"I see." I chuckle nervously.

"I can only imagine how fabulous everything you own is." Chara sarcastically states as he flips through his phone. The sarcasm seems to be noticed by Mettaton when I see him huff and cross his arms. After trying to eat the glamburger without showing signs of distaste, I try the starfait parfait. 'Huh, it tastes interesting. In a good way. It's sweet, creamy, and just a little tartly. Actually, it's a lot better than the glamburger.' I eat the parfait slowly, savoring it's flavor, and lapping up the spoon once finished.

"Well, darling, I take it you like the parfait, hmm?" he gives me a closed eye smile as he rests his elbow on the table with his cheek resting in his palm.

"Mhmm," I nod as I finish licking the spoon, "It was perfect. I really enjoyed the taste. What is it made of exactly?"

"The recipe is a secret, but... I suppose I could tell you. If you promise not to tell anyone, darling." he winks at me seductively.

I giggle then say, "Alright. I'm usually pretty good at keeping secrets."

"You guys still do realize that I'm still sitting here, right?" Chara butts in after putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Yes, Chara. We wouldn't forget about you." Mettaton sighs and rolls his eyes, "Anyway, darling," then he leans closer to my ear. The action causes a blush to form on my face as he whispers, "The secret to the starfait recipe is that it's made with sparkling stars."

"Sparkling stars…?" I ask him He nods as he leans back into his with amusement, chuckling.

'Sparkling stars? How? Is it even possible to make a parfait out of stars? If so where do you get then from? Oh, right. Monster food is made of magic. Of course it'd be possible to make food out of stars using magic.' I stare blankly into space lost in thought.

Chara's voice brings me out of my thoughts, "Can we leave now?"

I squint at him and pout, "No. Besides, it's only been an hour and a half since we've been here and the university isn't to far from here." Chara slides further into his seat and sticks his tongue at both of us.

"Well, darlings, it was a pleasure meeting you two, especially you, Jill. However, I'm afraid this meeting has been cut short. I-" Mettaton's sentence is cut off when a tall, blue horned, black-haired scaly monster runs up to him, hugging him. She has shiny, scaly light blue skin with wings and a tail that are similar to a dragon's. Her eyes are silver. She's wearing brown cowboy boots, a sea-foam green top, and dark stonewash jeans. Mettaton looks at the monster with surprise, "Lisette? What are you doing here, darling?"

"Just here for the comedy gig, puddin'. I got a job as a comedian here starting today." She smiles as she stares at Mettaton, speaking with a southern country accent.

"Really? Well I guess I'll be seeing you more often then, darling." He smiles seductively at her and she smiles back. Then she shifts her gaze to Chara and I.

"Who are these two adorable sugar cubes?" she asks.

"Darling, this is Jill and the one beside her is Chara. Jill, Chara, this is Lisette. A fellow performer and comedian." Mettaton gestures to is as he makes introductions.

Chara and I look at each other then back at Lisette and I say, "Sugar cubes? That's a cute nickname. Though I think it suits Chara more." Chara's face turns red and he shrinks back in his seat mumbling, "No it doesn't. If anyone's the sugar cube here, it's you, Jill." A soft blush forms on my cheeks and I giggle nervously.

"You two seen close. You wouldn't happen to be dating each other would you?" Lisette asks in a teasing tone. Mettaton stares at us and straightens his back in response to Lisette's question.

"Wha-?! N-no!" both of is shout in unison as our faces flare up more. I may have been seeing things, but I think I see Mettaton sigh in relief after our outburst.

Lisette's laughter echoes like wind chimes she says, "Well, either way you two look adorable together." She winks then turns back to Mettaton, "By the way, puddin', Napstablook is waiting for you outside along with Alphys. They said you were supposed to go hang out at the lab for a bit."

"Oh, yes. I was just about to leave, but before that," he turns to me holding out his hand, "Jill, darling, would you mind it If I could have your number? I certainly would love to see that lovely face of yours again." He smiles and in response I take out my phone from my bag, "Not at all, Mettaton. It'd be great to see you again. I really enjoy your flamboyant and confident appeal." Chara scoffs behind me and I give him a hard glare, nudging him sharply by the elbow. He glares back as he runs his arm, whispering, "Ow…"

"Why thank you darling. I'll see you again sometime." He gets up to leave, blowing a kiss, and struts out the door which in response Chara rolls his eyes. Lisette also takes her leave, but not before exchanging numbers with us and pulling is into a tight hug. Chara and I stay for a little longer. We finish up our lunch while we talk and joke around with each other. Then, after half an hour, Chara and I take our leave and part ways once we exit the resort. I get in my car, but before I do I try to offer Chara a ride, "You sure you don't want a ride?"

"No thanks, beautiful. Besides I have a short cut I can use to get home. I'll see you this weekend." He turns to leave, but I stop him after realizing that I had plans for the weekend and would not be able to see him, "Actually, Chara, I have other plans so I probably won't be able to hang out with you this weekend. Sorry, but maybe next time? If you're not busy, of course."

"Alright, sure. Let me guess you got a date or something?" Chara asks.

"Well… Kinda? I mean, I'm just meeting up with someone I met yesterday along with his brother, so I wouldn't really call it a date." I answer. He seems to look a bit hurt by the response, but smiles reassuringly, "Sounds fun. Well, I better get going. I'll text you later."

"Alright, bye." I drive off, heading to the university to start my classes.


	6. Chapter 6

I step onto the campus of Pennstate University. As I walk I occasionally am greeted by some of my classmates. Once I arrive at my locker I take out the binders and notebooks I have for my quantum physics, astrology, and astronomy classes. When I turn around I see Allen standing behind me, "Hello, Jill." He pushes up his glasses as he speaks, "How are you?"

"I'm good. What about you?" I ask as I stuff the notebooks and binders into my backpack.

"I'm fine, thank you. I would like to ask if you're free this weekend. Monica and the others are planning to go to the movies and she is inviting some of her other friends. One of them, if I'm not mistaken, is that Chara person you saw the other day. So, would you like to go?" He says in a consistent and brief tone.

"Sorry, I can't. I have other plans this weekend. Maybe next time I'll hang out with you guys." I reply in an apologetic way and sling my backpack onto my shoulder.

"I see. That's a shame, though it's fine. Next weekend then?" He asks with a glint of hope in his eyes.

"Sure, if I'm not too busy." I answer.

"Alright then. I'll let the others know. See you around, Jill." He waves goodbye then heads in the opposite direction of where I have to go.

"See ya!" I wave back, then start walking to my astrology class in room I'm there I take a seat in the back corner of the room next to a window. The teacher, like always, begins class with a lecture, note taking, and ends it with a scientific case study about the constellations and their correlations to the zodiacs. The bell rings and I head to room 608, but I stop when I see some upper classmen pick on a girl with what looks to be fluffy cat ears and a tail. The ears and tail look realistic and matches the girl's white hair. I listen to the rants of the classmen as they shout at her.

"Your kind isn't welcome here!"

"Yeah, so why don't you take a hike back to the underground, witch cat!"

Her voice catches my attention as I watch her step closer to the students, fiercely glaring with her purple eyes at them, and giving an intimidating smile, "Excuse me, bitches, but in case you weren't informed, I got an invitation to join this school. Now move it or I'll be forced to turn you into mincemeat." She holds up her hands, wielding fire and lightning as she sternly speaks.

'So cool…' my eyes widen and I smirk as I watch the other students run away with their tails between their legs. I snap out of my thoughts when I hear the bell ring. "Crap." I mutter under my breath as I rush through the halls. Mrs. Dallas walks over to me with a stern expression, crossing her arms when she noticed me slip into the classroom.

"Miss Jill, is there a reason why you show up late to my class today? It'd better be a good one, since you've showed up to class on time every day until now." She pushes up her glasses.

"Sorry, professor Dallas. I ended up running into some trouble, but nothing too severe. I promise I'll be more careful next time." I quickly respond to her and fumble with the hem of my skirt in embarrassment.

She sighs, "Fine, but if anything severe does happen that interrupts your schedule, then let me or one of the staff know. Are we clear?" I nod my head, "Good. Now take your seat and get out your notes. We're doing a lab today on the creation of stars." I take my seat in the back of the classroom and just as I unzip my backpack the door opens. The girl I saw that got picked on earlier is standing in the doorway.

"Hello. You must be the new student that has gotten an invitation to this school. May I see your schedule?" the teacher walks up to the half human half cat hybrid, holding out her hand.

"Sure, miss." The neko politely says as she takes out her schedule from her bag. The teacher takes it and quickly scans her eyes over the sheet then hands it back with a pleasant smile, "Welcome to class, Luna. Why don't you take a seat beside Jill. She's in the back corner." She gestures towards my direction. 'Okay, Jill. Play it cool. Don't screw up. Hopefully she didn't notice me earlier and if she did hopefully she doesn't misunderstand.' Luna walks down the aisle as everyone stares at her ears and tail, whispering and making comments on her appearance. 'Honestly, I wish everyone would just shut up and quit being so judgmental.' I let out a sigh then hear the chair beside me creak. I look over to my side and I see Luna sitting there. I stare at her fluffy ears and tail and feel tempted to touch them, but don't. Luna turns her head towards me, almost as if she could feel me staring. I gulp and look away back to professor Dallas. Then I hear a soft chuckle beside me. I look back to Luna who is smiling teasingly, "What's wrong? Scared or something? You look a little nervous. Of course, I understand if you are. Everyone is when they see me..." her smile fades into a frown.

I begin to panic internally and nervously reply, "N-no, not at all. I'm fe-line fine. Actually, that's a lie. I'm nervous, but not because of your appearance. I'm just socially awkward around strangers and sometimes just think or blurt out random things. Like earlier I was thinking about how fluffy your ears were and wanting to touch them... Oh god. That sounded weird. Um, forget I ever said any of that, hehe..." I look down at my hands that are folded in my lap.

She snorts out laughter and I look up at her in surprise. The teacher looks back at us, giving us a warning glare then goes back to the lecture. Luna's laughter dies down and she says, "That was a terrible pun, but still funny. Also, you're strange. In a good way. Most people, when they see me, they see a monster. Someone who causes chaos and destruction to others. And it's all because of my appearance and powers I have. So, it kind of threw me off guard when you said those things."

'That's... awful. Does that mean she's been alone ever since she was born? All because of what she is? That's just... just fucked up.' Anger swells up inside me, but I manage to keep it hidden and look up at her with a smile, "Well, you wanna know what one of my philosophies are?"

"Um, sure." she looks at me quizzically.

"People shouldn't judge based on someone's appearance, but on the personality and actions of someone. After all, just because someone looks like a monster doesn't mean they are one. I'm sure that that statement goes for you too." As I speak my mind is brought back to when she had stood up against those other college students and when I first met Gaster.

"Well, thanks... I guess." she looks away shyly and I chuckle.

"No problem. I'm Jill, by the way. Though you probably already know that by now."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jill. The name's Luna. You probably already know it by now too." she chuckles.

"So are we friends now? 'Cause if we are, then would it be pawsible fur you to exchange numbers and hang out sometime? Not this weekend though, but maybe next week with some of my friends." I suggest.

"Sure." Then professor Dallas looks at us again and she calls my name, "Jill, as much as I appreciate you helping the new student fit in, shouldn't you be more focused on the instructions I am giving for the lab? Unless of course, you don't really care about this class. After all you did choose this class, correct?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." I answer softly. My face grows red as I hear people snicker and whisper to each other.

"Well then, pay attention." she goes back to writing instructions on the blackboard behind her. One kid in front of me gives me a menacing glare and I could have sworn I heard him say, "Good for nothing pushover. Serves you right for befriending a monster." I hear the other students whisper around me.

"How much you wanna bet that it's all just some trick she puts up to kiss up to others?"

'I...I swear it's not...'

"I bet she does it just so that she can have people do favors for her."

'No, I don't...

"How did someone like her even get into a school like this? She's an orphan, isn't she."

'Just shut up...'

"I heard that her parents left her because of how much of a cry baby she was."

'Shut up...'

"I bet her parents left her because of how pathetic and worthless she is. After all, a pushover like her must have been useless."

'Just shut up already! I already know how worthless I am... You don't have to point it out to me!'

"She probably lived off the street stealing and robbing other's belongings then bribed and begged the principal to let her into the school."

'I... I would never...'

"Do you think she killed her own parents? I mean that would explain why she got separated from her sister."

"Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if she did."

'I- I didn't mean to... I swear... Oh god, I'm so sorry... so, so sorry. Please just... just stop... I swear I'll be better... Just stop already!' I feel tears run down my face and my sight blurs. My hands are covering my ears, trying to stop the whispers from reaching them. My surroundings are blocked out as I retreat into the darkness of my mind. My heart aches as it pounds out my chest. I start having flashbacks of my father shouting angrily at my mother as I stand in the hallway with Frisk behind me, clinging to my nightgown tightly. Fragile objects are thrown at the wall behind where my mother is cowering and sobbing. I hyperventilate. My lips are dry and my breathing becomes hitched. Frisk whispers, "Sis..."

"Shh... Frisk. Go to your room, okay." I look down at her, hiding my fear.

"B-but what about you?" Frisk asks worryingly.

"I'll be fine. Just... go play with Mrs. Bun-Bun, alright?" I give her my stuffed rabbit I was holding onto and she reluctantly retreats to our bedroom.

I watch as my mother gets battered, and each whimper and cry for help causes me to cringe and whimper. I cover my mouth to hide the sounds I make. 'W-what should I do? I-if I try and stop him he might shout at me again... or worse. If I call the police he might get mad... Plus the phone is within his sight... Oh god, please... just make it stop already... I can't take it any longer... please stop! Why won't it stop? Is- is it my fault...? Am I the one to blame...? D-dad did say that I was useless and good for nothing... and mom... she's still suffering because of how much of a coward I am... I'm useless... Why do I even try anymore. I should just go back to bed and sleep forever. Nobody would probably even notice... Well nobody except my sister. Though, she probably hates me too... In fact, I bet she blames me for everything that happens between my parents.' Just then a shadow leans over my form. My father towers over me, looking down at me with a scowl, "What are you doing?! You little bitch. Go to your room! Don't tell anyone about this, understand?! You keep that mouth of yours quiet or else I'll-" Then I see another figure appear behind him, plunging a knife into his chest. Those same ruby eyes from my previous dream flash before my sight. The person's hand reaches out to my shoulder and I cry out, "D-don't touch me!" I hit the hand away from me.

I hear a familiar voice ask, "Jill, are you alright?" Luna's hand is recoiled back as she looks at me with concern. I look back then my eyes wander the rest of the classroom. Everyone is looking at me. Some appear to be freaked out, some look at me with disdain, and others are trying to hold in their laughter.

"Miss Clark! What is wrong with you today?" Professor Dallas shouts loud enough that her voice echoes throughout the whole room. In the heat of the moment, without thinking straight or speaking, I bolt out of there, grabbing my backpack and notebook. I hear the teacher call out my name as I exit the room. I look back briefly and see Luna, a hurt expression can be seen on her face. Guilt, dread, and anxiety build up in the pit of my stomach as I rush to the nearest bathroom I can find. Without stopping, I bust open the door. I go to the farthest mirror at the end of the bathroom. My hair is disheveled. Sweat drenches my body. 'I look like a fucking mess. Hehehe... Well, I am a pretty fucking ugly sack of shit, aren't I? Just look at how flabby my body is.' I poke at my chubby stomach, 'Disgusting. Not to mention how fucking ugly this scar is.' I lift up my shirt to reveal a long, deep scar going down from the side of my chest to my stomach, 'Serves me right, though. After all, I am worthless. Why does anyone hangout with me... Especially Chara. He probably just does it because he pities me. That's probably the reason why anyone would want to hang out with me anyways... I'm probably the most unattractive, annoying person in the whole world... maybe if I... Do I have anything to cover up though? I think there are some bandages in my bag I could...' Just as I am about to unzip my bag the door to the bathroom opens and I turn cautiously over to the source of the noise. Standing by the door was a stocky looking skeleton just about an inch taller than me. It's wearing a sweater, brown slacks, and... pink slippers with socks...? I notice he has several cracks on his head and one long one that runs diagonally through both of his eye sockets. The one thing that stands out the most, though, is the big grin he has on his skull that reaches from one side to the other. It looks... almost fake. Like he's trying to hide something.

His pinprick eyes stare at me and there is a brief, awkward moment of silence until his deep, baritone voice that has a sort of New York accent to it, "uh... hey, pal. you do realize that this is a men's room right? unless of course you're one of those creepy weirdoes that spy on people in the stalls... shouldn't you be in class?"

'Oh shit, ok, um... what should I do? Think J, think... uh I could try and explain myself, but then that would reveal too many of my secrets I don't want to be found out, or I could make a break for it and just run to my next class... second option sounds rude, but... ah, screw it!' I grab my stuff and shout, "Retreat!" I ran as fast as I could passed the short skeleton out into the hallway. I can hear him shout at me as I run passed lockers to get to my next class. Luckily the bell rings and I manage to escape into the crowd. My pacing slows down and comes to a stop when I see Luna standing by the door to my next class with Allen. I walk slowly up to them, squeezing through the crowd of students by the door. "H-hey..." I sheepishly greet Luna and Allen.

"Jill, what the hell happened back there?! First you acted all nice to me then you ran away after I tried to help you?!" Luna shouted at me and I flinched, looking down at my feet. She notices this and her expression softens. She sighs, "It's... fine. I get it. You must hate me, huh?"

I look at her shocked, "N-no! I don't hate you. I could never hate anyone..."

'Liar... you hated him, didn't you? So much that you wished him to die. You wanted to cause so much pain and suffering to him just as he did to you and your family. You wanted to watch him choke on his own blood as he begged you for mercy.'

'Shut up.'

"Well why did you run away like that?!" She shouts. Then Allen intervenes, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Luna, calm down. I'm sure there is a reason why she did and I'm pretty sure it's a good one," he looks to me, "I heard what happened from one of the teachers when I was getting a few handouts from the faculty room. You okay?"

"Y-yeah." I fake a smile to try and convince him.

'No, no I'm not okay. Why do I always lie to others and myself?'

"Alright. Do you wanna talk about it or-"

"No." I stare painfully at the white, tiled floor.

"I see... Well, if you ever need someone to talk to you can always rely on me or the others." He gently smiles at me.

"I know." I whisper

"So how do you know Luna?" he asks, pushing up the rim of his glasses.

"Well-"

"Jill had the same class with me last period. She said some weird and interesting stuff about me. Nothing bad, though. It was more compliments than insults." Luna puts her arm around my shoulder, replying with eagerness. I look at her with surprise.

"Yeah... How do you know Luna?" I ask looking back to Allen.

"We met when I accidentally bumped into her on my way to this class. I saw we had the same class together so I offered to show her the way as an apology." he explains.

"And I agreed. Though, I find it strange that you weren't even phased by my appearance at all." she looks at him quizzically.

"Well, I live in the part of the city where most of it is now inhabited by monsters, so for the past few days I've seen some different looking beings. Though, I'll admit, I've never actually seen a neko before. Are they rare?" a hint of curiosity is laced within his question.

"Yeah, actually. As far as I know I'm the only one of my kind ever since my parents passed away." she puts a hand on her chin, thinking.

'Wow... she really is alone then... hehe. And here I was selfishly wallowing in my own depression complaining about myself even though I have friends to rely on, yet this person here has been alone their entire life until now. Aren't I just the most wonderful friend anyone could ever ask for? How despicable...' I stay silent for a bit and space out, getting lost in my thoughts until Allen and Luna both notice that I seem to be a bit off. Luna snaps her fingers in front of me causing me to flinch back. I focus on their faces and Allen looks at me concerned, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, never better. Why'd you ask?" I tell him again as I mask myself with a superficial smile.

"You just seem off. Normally when it comes to having conversations you tend to focus on what the people are saying or join in and rant about something. Right now you're just spacing out."

"Hehe, sorry. I just got a little star struck on a topic we had today in astronomy class. After all, those constellations are out of this world, am I right?" I shrug, laughing off my own inner depression. Luna smiles and rolls her eyes and Allen does the same. Everyone silences their conversations and I hear deep, rough laughter coming from behind me and a few other students. When I look back I see the same skeleton I saw before from the bathroom, holding his boney hand over his mouth trying to cover his laughter. 'Oh shit... What's he doing here?'

"Looks like our substitute teacher finally arrived. What took him so long?"

"Why's he skeleton? Is that his costume or is he actually a skeleton monster?"

Allen stares at the skeleton monster curiously while Luna looks at him in pure shock with her jaw ajar. I try to avoid eye contact, staring at the ground nervously. 'Please don't notice me... Please don't notice me...'

He walks closer towards me and I look up. His eye sockets are shut, 'How's he doing that without eyelids? Magic? Is everything a monster does magic? Is their whole body made of magic? How? Why...?'

"gotta hand it to ya, kid. that joke really tickled my funny bone. ya could even say it was a bone-tastically humerus pun, hehe. so-" he opens his sockets. The white pinpricks disappear causing his sockets to become dark, eerie holes. I notice a few drops of sweat and his grin falters slightly. It feels as though he is staring right through me, almost as if he is looking straight through my soul. Then he blinks and his pinpricks return to normal after noticing my distressed gaze, "uh... well, 'scuse me kid, but, uh... i kinda need to get through here."

'Oh god. He noticed me... At least he hasn't said anything yet, though.' I let out a sigh of relief and nervously chuckle, "O-oh right. S-sorry. I'll just get out of your ribcage then and quit skulking around, hehe."

He looks at me and snickers as I move aside. Allen and Luna do the same. He takes out his keys from his pants pockets and unlocks the door. Everyone files in, taking their seats. After everyone is seated, the skeleton takes a seat in the office chair, slouching in front of the desk lazily. He speaks loud enough so that everyone in the room can hear, "alright, class. i'm professor sans. your substitute teacher that'll be filling in for professor william over the next few weeks. now, i'll be taking roll so, uh, raise your hand or whatever to let me know your here. wouldn't want anyone of ya to be considered late or tardy..."

'Sans... why does that name sound so familiar... Not only that, but... he's a skeleton just like Gaster. Oh god, I hope he isn't Gaster's brother otherwise this would just be even more awkward and embarrassing, especially if he tells Gaster about what happened today.' I hope and pray to the lord in my mind as he pulls out a clipboard with paper attached to it out from the desk and scans his tiny pinpricks over the sheet as he reads off the names, "kelsey anderson?"

"Here!"

"michael beckham."

"Here."

"casey bale."

"'Sup?"

"not much. the ceiling, maybe," he grins wider, if that's even possible. The other students laugh and I can't help but feel a tug at the corner of my lips, causing me to smirk. He clears his throat- neck bone...? Then says, "as much as i love bone dry humor, i think we should get back to roll call, yeah? anyways, jill clark?"

I flinch and take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. My thoughts still wander to that embarrassing moment that had happened earlier. 'It'll be fine... maybe? I don't know...'

"do i have a jill clark here?" he repeats, scanning his sockets across the room, "no? going once, going twice-"

"H-here!" I shout with my eyes shut tight. When I open them I see him look at me with a lazy smile, "hehe, what took ya so long, kid?"

"S-sorry..." everyone in the class looks at me with either amusement or annoyance. Except for Allen and Luna who look a little worried.

I notice Sans smile at me, almost as if to console me, but it's brief and he quickly turns away. He walks towards the blackboard and pulls down the projector screen. Then he turns on the computer and pulls up a power point. Before he starts the presentation, however, he stands up, putting his hands on the desk, "so, as you probably already know, quantum physics is a branch of physics that uses quantum theory to describe and predict properties of a physical system. Uh… now, does anybody remember the definition of quantum theory?" he looks around the room as some students raise their hands. 'I know it, but… I really hate speaking in front of large crowds. Especially when I always end up freezing mid-sentence while being stared at by everyone who might be judging me…' I stare blankly into my notes, hoping the skeletal professor doesn't call on me. When I look up briefly, his eye sockets makes contact with my eyes and his grin widens. 'Oh no… please tell me that he's not looking at me and is just staring at the kid behind me.' I feel anxiousness creep up into my thoughts and spread throughout my body like wildfire.

He calls my name in a smug fashion, "jill. howzzabout you throw me a bone here and tell the class what quantum theory is, alright kid." It sounded more like a command than a question. I look up slowly and point at myself questioningly. Sans takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. His voice is more serious and stern this time, "yes, kiddo. you." Everybody stares at me, waiting with bated breaths. I gulp and look to Luna who gives me an encouraging nod and a thumbs up. My head then turns to Allen who is looking at me with a stoic expression. I gulp again, looking back at professor Sans, "Um… I don't know if I should be the one to answer that question, Mr. Sans…"

"why's that, kid?" He leans on the table, crossing his arms and legs.

"B-because… because… I might not have the right answer." The atmosphere is tense as I feel all eyes observing me.

"ya sure about that? ya look like a smart gal to me."

"Maybe…"

"it's either a yes or a no kid. look, i'm askin' ya to answer the question here, kiddo. do you know what quantum theory is? it's alright if ya get the question wrong. no one will get upset or mad at ya."

'Yeah, right. You're just saying that to make me feel better. And when if that were true there's no guarantee someone would not be secretly criticizing me…' I sigh and stare blankly at the desk.

"alright, guess i'll pick another volunteer." Before his gaze leaves mine I speak out, "Quantum theory is a theory in physics that is based on the idea that energy is made of small separate units of energy or a theory based on the concept of the subdivision of radiant energy into finite quanta and applied to numerous processes involving transference or transformation of energy in an atomic or molecular scale."

"hehe, smart kid. anyways, let's move onto the next topic, alright." he turns back to the projector then starts the presentation. For about half an hour we take notes then he hands out assignments for a presentation project. He clears his throat then says, "this project will be based on what you've learned so far in this class. as you can see there are different topics you can choose to present. you can create a model of the topic you choose if possible, but you need to at least have a written paper and a powerpoint to present it with. so, let's get started on choosing a topic."

He looks back at the copy of the handout he gave us and starts to read off the options for the designated project, "okay, so we have planck's constant, schrödinger's equation, position and momentum, energy and time, square wells and barriers, harmonic oscillator, observables and operators, angular momentum, the hydrogen atom, identical particles, and atoms. do i have any volunteers that want to have the first pick?" Casey Bale's hand shoots up first, "I'm up for atoms, skeledude." Everyone snickers at his response and Sans takes a pen from the desk, writing on the sheet, "alright, kid. sounds good. a little advice, though. i would be careful doing research on that topic. you can't trust atoms since they make up everything."

Most of the people in the classroom roll their eyes or cringe. Allen stays silent and expressionless and Luna snorts. I start to smirk whilst preventing myself from giggling, 'He doesn't seem like that bad of a guy, though... There's something about that smile that feels fake. It's almost as if he's hiding something... Oh well, at least he hasn't called me out about earlier...yet.' I sigh. He continues to give out options to the rest of the students until there is only one left. Then he looks to me, "alright, kiddo, looks like you're stuck with energy and time. this should be an interesting one," he sits back down in the chair and clears his throat, "anyways, tomorrow you'll be spending the whole period working on this project in class and by the end of next week you should be ready to present." After his last word the bell rang and everyone grabs their stuff, vacating the room. Before I am able to leave, however, I feel a bone like structure grip my shoulder firmly. I look back and see Professor Sans staring back at me with a stern gaze, "sorry to bother ya kid, but... uh, i wanna talk to ya for a sec. i know you're probably busy and all, but i gotta know something..."

I swallow hard and move my eyes around in a panic, 'Oh great. He's probably gonna ask about earlier.'

"kid, look at me, alright? i'm not gonna bite, i promise. just patella me what happened earlier. why were you in the men's bathroom during class?" he puts his hands in the pockets of his pants, looking at me with expectation. I look back at him. The panic attack I had earlier flashes through my mind and I tilt my head to the ground. My bangs hide the sorrow in my eyes and I softly reply, "Sorry, but... I... I'd rather not talk about it."

There is a tense moment of silence until his voice breaks through it, "…oh, well… sorry, kid. i get it. one of those days, am i right?" he speaks with a reassuring tone, trying to cheer me up.

"Yeah…" I give a half-hearted smile looking down into the floor.

"alright, well… uh, you'd better get going. i'd hate for ya to stay longer than needed because you were skullking around with an old bag 'o bones like me, hehe." Sans waves at me.

I chuckle softly and say, "Yeah… thanks professor Sans."

He stiffens for a moment in surprise then relaxes, "no problem, kid. just, uh… take it easy 'aight?"

I nod my head and walk out, waving a hand and heading out. The next few days pass by slower than usual and the nightmares keep escalating to the point where I end up terrified of sleeping at all anymore. Professor Dallas and Sans seem to notice this and on occasion have asked me what's wrong. Of course, Not wanting them to worry, I tell them that I'm fine. They don't seem too convinced, but when they press further on the topic I just laugh It off and smile like nothing's wrong. Even my friends seem to notice a change in my usual attitude, but I tell them not to worry about it. 'I'm fine. I'm okay. There's nothing wrong with me.' I keep repeating the mantra in my mind, but somewhere deep within my conscious there is a voice asking, 'Am I really okay? Is there something wrong with me?' and another voice answers back, 'Of course not. You're not okay. Why do you kid yourself around others? Why do you pretend to be so optimistic and happy around others when deep down you should be feeling guilt and remorse for yourself?' and another voice would chime in laughing at my pathetic self, 'Hahahaha! It's nothing but a cruel, sick joke, isn't it? You pretending to be all nice and sympathetic just to surround yourself with friends so that you won't get hurt by others. It's hilarious! I'm still surprised you haven't killed yourself yet. That would make an even better joke! A great way of pulling down the curtains in your world... it would be priceless.'

'After all, you're just a waste of space. A push over. Someone too smart and asks too many questions that ends up wasting others' precious time.' However, despite all these doubts there is another conscious that retaliates against them saying, 'You can't give up. Not yet. Besides, you have people you need to look after and protect, whether they like it or not. And you have goals you want to accomplish before you die. You shouldn't care about what other people think. Just do what you feel is right, even if someone doesn't do right to you or reprimands you for it.' It's almost as if there is a small glimmer of hope telling me to hold on like there is something left for me in this prejudiced world. Regardless of this reassuring voice, my other consciousness continues to wear me down with insults and reminders of what I'd done in the past. To this day it still haunts and eats at my soul.

Finally, after so many restless, nightmare filled nights, Saturday is here and at ten I get ready to meet Gaster and his brother. I put on a loose, fluffy sky blue sweater with lime green stripes, black leggings, and black tennis shoes with a navy blue checkered pattern on them. I grab a navy blue jacket, gloves, and hat then head downstairs, taking my keys and purse as I head out my door.


	7. Chapter 7

Just Another Day with Skeletons, A Fireman, and Depression

It took an hour to get to Grillby's without traffic issues. Luckily Gaster had sent me some directions via texting this morning so I knew where I was going. While I have not heard too much about Grillby's I have heard that it's a new bar that opened up a few months ago run by a monster. No doubt that that place will have monsters as customers. I have also heard about a few assaults that happened to a lot of shops and establishments, including Grillby's. Apparently there is a rising gang group who is responsible for the attacks on the monster community. I remember clearly what was shown on the news this morning before I left.

A news reporter was standing in front of a shop that had been run by an old tortoise monster. The camera was fixed on the once neat and clean shop now torn apart. The windows were broken, the door had been busted, and everything in the shop was either missing or broken. Other places have been vandalized just as badly by the group- AMMO, an acronym which they used to shorten their full name, Anti Monster and Magic Organization. Their name has been spray painted in red on all places they have vandalized or destroyed as a warning to the monsters. They've also attacked a few monsters or have attempted to, but fortunately none of them had been seriously harmed to the point where one has died, or at least not yet. When investigating more about this group nothing about a leader, where they are located, or what their motives are showed up. The police have no leads whatsoever. It's almost as if they are lurking in the shadows, waiting for their next move. I shiver at the thought as I exit my vehicle, 'I really hope nothing bad happens to this place or anyone in there. It looks very welcoming, if not very warm and friendly.'

I observe the exterior of the establishment. The sign hanging on the building reads "Grillby's" in large, orange colors. There are a few windows with dim, cozy lighting emitting from inside. 'Alright... Let's do this thing... Oh god I'm so nervous. What if he doesn't show up? What if his brother doesn't like me? I mean I wouldn't blame him if he does... Damn it, Jill, now's not the time to be loitering around thinking about your negative self perception. Just get in there and do it! Besides, you'll get to see that adorable skelly again anyways... I called him adorable again, didn't I? Fuuuuuaaack me. I have issues... I seriously have issues...' I take a deep breath and enter the diner. Once I enter I am greeted by the sight of monsters sitting at booths and chairs. There were dogs sitting at the tables on the left side. Two of which are wearing robes, one towers over them and wears heavy armor, another is dressed in a tank top and camo pants. Then there's one sitting in the back corner that looks like it's playing poker against itself...? 'How can you win a game of poker by yourself? Why even...? Whatever. I'm just gonna roll with it.' I look to the right of the room and there is some sort of rabbit monster with its head resting on the table, a plant monster, a horse dressed in leather with shades standing by the juke box. On the stools in front of the counter a bird and an old looking fish next to each other. All of their eyes are focused on me and I look frantically for Gaster and his brother, but they were nowhere to be found as I looked around the room, 'Did I get the day wrong? I hope not... Ugh, maybe I did... I'm such an idiot.' Then something caught my eye. Well, more like someone. In the back of the counter stands a man made entirely of fire, wearing a tuxedo and glasses. The flames seem to be the only light source from this bar. 'Wait... How are his clothes not setting on fire? Hmm... Must be some sort of elemental magic he's using to control the flames. That or he's wearing fire proof clothing.' I stare at the flaming man as I walk up to the counter. I could feel the other monsters' gaze into me, watching my every move.

The flaming man watches me take a seat. He looks at me curiously then asks in a smooth and calming voice, "What's a human like you doing in a place like this?"

"Uh, just meeting up with a new friend of mine and his brother. Am I not supposed to be here? I mean there's a lot of monsters in here. I understand if my presence here isn't exactly welcomed. I could leave if you want me to... I mean I don't hold anything against your kind, really, but I understand if you're not comfortable with me being here and besides, the people I am supposed to be meeting aren't here yet so I'll just leave and-" I hear a low chuckle from the fire man. His flames crackle and dance as he speaks, "It's alright, miss. You're presence here is just surprising is all, if not a little alarming. Most humans don't come here simply because most of the customers are, obviously, monsters. Though, you don't seem to be phased in the slightest by the presence of monsters."

"O-oh, well... you know... I don't really care about what someone's race or gender is... I mean, what's on the inside is what really matters. As long as someone is nice and treats other's with respect then they're pretty much a great person in my book... Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't judge others sometimes too. But I try to keep an open mind and give everyone a chance." I nervously twiddle my thumbs while glancing down at the counter. I notice the monsters stare back at me in awe when I start looking around the room. Then they all go back to what they were doing

There is a brief moment of silence until the man's voice cuts through it, "You... you're a good human. A lot like a certain customer and a friend of mine whose made many friends among monster society."

"Th-thanks, mister, um..." I get flustered as I look back at him.

"Grillby." He pushes up his glasses, giving a gentle smile. 'Oh my god he's cute and, dare I say it, hot. Literally and metaphorically.'

Somehow I manage to blurt out my thoughts without filtering my mouth, "You're cute and hot... I mean, um... oh shit. I- did I say that out loud?"

I look back up at him again and notice his flames turning a deep, red color. He clears his throat and replies, "Yes. Yes you did."

"Ugh... I'm sorry. I kinda have a tendency to blurt out things sometimes when I space out or am not thinking straight."

"It's fine. Thank you."

"You're welcome... I guess?"

"Now then, I don't believe you gave me your name."

"Oh, right. I'm Jill. It's nice to meet you, Grillby. By the way, I really like this place. It's very cozy and well lit. Plus, it feels nice and warm. I'm guessing that's because you're here though since you tend to lighten up this place, huh? Hehe."

"Thank you. And that was a terrible pun," He looks as though he is struggling not to smile.

"Why thank you. I enjoy all types of humor. At least ones that don't endanger others' lives, of course."

"So, miss Jill, would you like burgers or fries? As for beverages, I would offer you some water, but-"

"You don't touch the stuff? Makes sense. That's fine. Could I possibly get both a burger and a fry with ketchup, please? Also, maybe a glass of some of that cocktail on the shelf behind you." I point to the bottle with an electric blue liquid inside it that shimmers in the light. Grillby looks at me funny, "Miss, aren't you a little young to drink?"

'Oh, right. People seem to think I am younger than my actual age because of my height and the way I look.' I giggle and say, "Actually, I'm twenty-two. So, I should be allowed to have a drink or two." I show him my ID and he looks speechless for a moment. Then he speaks up, "I apologize, miss. I thought you were at least a young teen. You look so much like what most human adolescents do when they're in high school."

I giggle again and reply with a smile, "It's okay. A lot of people tend to think that when they first meet me."

He chuckles, "Alright then. One burger, fries, and a glass of Arctic Diamond coming right up." He takes a glass out from underneath the counter and grabs vodka, a clear mint liqueur, and sparkling soda. He mixes all the drinks together, doing neat little spins and twists with the bottle. Flames and embers dance around him with each move he makes. 'So cool... hehe. Cool.' I watch with eager eyes and amusement. Then, once he is finished, he pours the drink into the glass, adding a cute little umbrella to it, "You're drink, madam." He bows politely and smiles.

I giggle and smile back, "Thank you, monsieur,"

He deeply chuckles, "I will be back with your order shortly." he leaves the counter and goes into the kitchen in the back. Just then, I hear a bell ring and the door that leads into the bar opens. The monsters behind me all greet the people who have entered, "Hi Sans, Dr. Gaster!"

"Hiya, Sans! Hey, G!"

"Heya, Sansy~ Hello, Gasty~!"

'Wait a minute, Sans... Dr. Gaster? That must be them... Please let the Sans that's here be another Sans and not my substitute teacher. It would be so awkward and weird if that was not the case.' I slowly turn around and, to my dismay, but fortunate sight, I see the stocky skeleton who is my temporary professor and Gaster. I take note that Sans's appearance is different from how I first saw him. He's wearing a blue jacket with fur on the edges of the hood. There is a tear in the left sleeve, revealing several cracks running down the bones of his arm. Underneath the jacket he's wearing a white shirt with some stains on it and black shorts. The only thing that has not changed is the slippers he's wearing and that grin that's plastered on his round skull. 'He looks a lot different. More... lazy and casual? I guess. Still, this is going to be awkward. What am I going to say? Should I say anything? If I don't it might be rude... ugh, why does this have to be so complicated...' I hear their voices get closer and see them walking towards the counter.

"Honestly, Sans, we should have been here twenty minutes ago!" Gaster scolds his brother, placing his hands on his hips and pouting. 'Oh my god. That face he's making is so adorable... Damn it. How and why is that skelly so adorable and handsome? I clearly have issues. Whatever.'

"oh, come on, g. we're not that late. in fact, i'd say-"

"Sans, don't."

"we're pretty punctual."

"Sans..." Gaster puts a hand on his head, trying to stifle a few giggles. Then he looks up and his gaze meets mine. Sans looks to me as well. I notice him freeze up as his pinpricks shrink and tiny drops of sweat dot his skull.

'Okay. No need to panic. Gaster is a nice guy and so is his brother. Just because Sans is your professor doesn't mean that there's no harm in being friendly to him. Sure, it might be awkward, but he's only a temporary substitute until professor William is back... everything will be fine.' I wave at them. Gaster eagerly waves back. Sans is a bit hesitant, but manages to respond. They walk over to me.

"Hello, dear. I'm sorry we're late. My brother, Sans, had slept in too long." he looks down at Sans, nudging his shoulder, "oh, right. sorry, kid, hehe."

"It's fine. It's nice to see you again, Gaster and... uh, Sans." I hug Gaster and offer a hand shake to Sans. He gladly accepts it with a smug grin. When our hands grasp each other a loud fart noise could be heard throughout the bar followed by jovial laughter. I join in laughing, 'Wow. Okay... not only does this guy tell puns, but he also knows how to prank someone. Even if though it's the oldest joke in the history of jokes, it's still pretty funny.'

"Gotta hand it to you, sir. That joke really blew me away." I let out a few soft giggles.

"good one kid. though, i highly doubt you'd be able to ketchup with this punny guy. i have a skeleton of puns that'll rattle your bones."

"Is that a challenge?"

"you bet it is, kiddo."

"Alright, then. I accept. By the way, have you heard about the guy who got into a car accident last week?" both Gaster and Sans look at me confused.

"uh... no."

"Well apparently he drove his expensive car into a tree and found out how a Mercedes bends."

"Oh god... pfft." Gaster covers his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"... holy sh- pfft... hahahaha. ok. that was good. i'm guessing driving on so many turnpikes was taking its toll on the guy so he decided to take a shortcut, huh?" Meanwhile Gaster fails to hold in his laughter and starts clutching his stomach, laughing in the background with the other monsters.

'Oooo, this guys good.' I smirk then say, "Did you know chronic illegal parkers suffer from parking zones disease?"

Sans and Gaster both laugh and for a few seconds, I see a genuine smile on Sans's face. Not the forced one he always puts on when I see him. Both of their laughter and smiles cause my face to heat up. 'They're so cute... Wait, did I just say they're cute...? Ugh, what the heck? I just met them a few days ago and I'm already gushing over them like some fan girl who just met her celebrity crush. Also, what's with this weird feeling in my stomach? It feels warm and light and feathery...' Gaster and Sans both take a seat beside me.

"So, how have you been, Jill? I notice that you've already met my brother. In fact, if I'm not mistaken he already told me about you being a student in the quantum physics class he is substituting for." Gaster asks. His hands are folded into his lap as he stares gently into my eyes.

"R-really?" I ask worryingly. He nods. 'Oh god, please tell me he didn't find out about that embarrassing moment I had...' Just then I see Sans rub the back of his neck. I could've sworn I saw him mouth, 'Don't worry. I left out some details.' to me. Then I go back to his question, "I've been... good." I answer hesitantly. In response to my answer, I can sense Sans staring at me from behind. When I turn to look back at him, I see him swiftly shift his head toward the counter and pick up a ketchup bottle. He chugs the condiment down without stopping. 'That's... okay, maybe it's not that weird since I once drank syrup out of a bottle before, but still... What the heck? How is it not pouring out of his ribcage and staining his clothes? Magic?'

"what's tomato, kid? never seen a skeleton drink ketchup before?" At the sound of his voice I realize I have been staring at him longer than someone should. I look away and mutter, "No. And that pun was really bad. Worse than my own."

"She does have a point, Sans." Even Gaster agrees as he nods his head and sighs.

"eh, can't all be wieners."

"That pun isn't even relevant to condiments." I say, trying my best not to giggle.

"neither was the pun you told earlier relevant to anything else in the bar."

I teasingly pout and purse my lips, "But they're funnier than the ones your telling now." He just shrugs his shoulders and goes back to chugging the bottle of ketchup.

"Honestly, Sans. You do realize that drinking that is unhealthy for you. Ketchup has high concentrations of fructose corn syrup and fusing it with magic can produce even more negative effects on a monster's physicality." I watch as Sans and Gaster start to bicker at each other.

"there's no harm in it, g. besides, i can always just use some of my magic to negate the effects."

"Yes, but your magic isn't entirely as stable as it used to be. And the effects won't last long enough. It may do you more harm than good."

"meh, whatevs."

"So... How are you guys?" I look at Gaster then at Sans.

"i'm fine, sweetheart. thanks for asking." He winks at me and my face heats up. Still... I can't help but sense that there is something behind that smile of his that he's trying to keep from others. I then look away towards Gaster who replies, "I am doing well, dear." Then Grillby comes back from the kitchen and places my food onto the counter. He looks to Gaster, then to Sans, and, finally, to me.

"So these are the friends you were supposed to meet." He says as he places a hand on his hips and adjusts his glasses.

"Hello, Grillby. How are you, my friend? It's been so long since I've spoken to you."

"'sup, grillbz?" Sans casually waves at him.

"Not much. Just the usual routine and customers. Well, besides this one, of course." Grillby takes a cloth folded inside a pocket from his tuxedo and starts cleaning a few empty glasses.

"Wait... You three know each other?"

"'course. anyone who's a monster that lived in the underground or on the surface knew each other, kid."

"All of monster kind is practically tied to each other and as close as kin. Well, almost all monsters..." I see Gaster shiver in disgust, and hear him mutter something along the lines of Jerry.

"Okay, then."

"also, grillby used to own a bar that looks exactly like this one in a town my brothers and i lived in before all the monsters started living above ground. snowdin was the name."

"Snowdin?"

"Yes. It always snowed in that area, which was probably why it was named the way it was. It wasn't a very original name now that I think about it." Grillby nods in agreement with Gaster's statement.

"But it must have been funny since the monsters living in town must've gotten Snowdin a lot, right?"

"That was a lot better than the puns my brother told earlier. Thank you." he chuckles.

"hehe, not bad. but i'll have you know my puns are sansational, thank you very much."

I snort and say, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, pal. Though, I'll give you some credit. Some of them are pretty funny."

Sans pretends to have been stabbed in his ribcage, acting slightly hurt from my words, "you're seriously killing me here, kid. as if i weren't dead already. if i had the heart, i would have probably died from it because of the feelings i have towards you right now."

"But you don't have a heart because you're a skeleton."

"exactly." I roll my eyes and chuckle. Gaster does the same then Sans calls Grillby over. Meanwhile, I take a bite of my food. The sweet, savory flavor of the ketchup and burger, not to mention the infused magic in the food, causes me to purr with pleasure, "This is so good~" I notice the three other men stare at me oddly. A blue color dusts Sans's cheekbones, Gaster's face is a bright purple, and Grillby's flames are the same color as earlier when I complimented him. Realization hit me that the cause of their reaction must've been the suggestive noise I made after taking a bite from the food.

"Uh... sorry. It's just... really good."

"yeah, i can see that. oof!" Gaster nudges Sans sharply and replies, "T-that's alright, dear. Though... maybe you should try not to make such... awkward sounds while we're here. It may or may not... give someone a wrong impression."

"W-well. Thank you, miss," he straightens his bowtie then turns to Sans and Gaster, "Now then, what is it that you two gentlemen would like to order?"

"I would like to have fries please."

"i'll have the same thing as jill." he looks at me and my gaze meets his. He winks at me a second time. I look away, blushing, 'Sans... why...? This is just weird... Nice, but weird.' After a few moments, Grillby returns with their food. Sans pours mounds of ketchup on his as I stare with fascination and slight disgust, 'Welp, someone's obsessed with ketchup... Then again, I'm obsessed with food, especially desserts... mmm, desserts... I wonder, though... what it would be like to chug down a bottle of ketchup?' He notices me staring and chuckles, "want some?"

"Sure, why not?" I take the bottle from his hand that he's been chugging out of. 'Would it technically be an indirect kiss if I actually drink out of this? Probably... Why am I even asking that question.' I stare at the bottle for about a minute.

"Dear, what are you doing?"

"kid?"

"I have a question."

"Um, I might be able to answer it for you."

"ok... and?"

"Do you think it would be wise to drink this?"

They both look at me dumbfounded. Then Sans bursts out laughing. Gaster looks at me like I just said the craziest thing ever, and trust me, I've heard and seen a lot of crazy things, so this is normal for me.

"No, not at all. I think you might want to put the bottle down, Jill."

"jesus. no one's asked me that before. hehe. anyways... i wouldn't advise you to try it out since it's an acquired taste, but... if you really wanna, then go ahead and knock yourself out." They both watch me with curiosity, though Gaster is staring with more concern than fascination.

I shrug, "Meh, fuck it. I've drunken a full bottle of syrup before so, why the hell not? Bottoms up." I swiftly bring the bottle to my mouth and start squeezing it. Ketchup pours into my mouth. Despite the odd texture, the flavor of it isn't too bad. It's sweet, but slightly tangy. I drink more of it as Sans watches with admiration until Gaster snatches it away from me.

"Hey! What gives?" I squint at him.

"I am confiscating this from the both of you until we leave the bar."

I roll my eyes then stick my tongue out at him, "Meanie." I giggle when I notice him blushing profusely at my childish response.

Sans laughs in amusement, "well, that's ok. i've got plenty of ketchup back home, anyways."

Gaster grabs my attention when he asks, "How are your classes, by the way?"

"They're fine. I actually enjoy a lot of them. The topics are really interesting and I love how they're all correlated to each other since they're science subjects. Of course, I am also trying out other electives to besides the sciences. Most of which are humanities and the arts."

"so, you're an undecided major, then?" he asks as he picks up a ketchup soaked get and ears it.

I nod in response, taking a few bites of my burger then swallow, "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure what I want my life long career to be."

"Well, what are your interests?" Gaster asks.

"That's the problem. I'm interested in too many things at once. I like art, any form of art. Drawing, painting, sculpting, performing. But I also like science and learning about how everything in the universe came to be and how it's all tied together. And I like a lot of the social sciences and history."

"well, what are ya good at?"

"All those subjects, really. The one thing I don't like that I'm terrible at is anything athletic or things that involve sports."

"let me rephrase that. what is your best subject?"

"Science."

"well, there's your answer, kiddo."

"You say that, but it's not that simple since I still have a wide range of interests that I'm good at."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"I know… but I already got my AA degree two years ago and I'm still unsure what career path I wanna take."

"eh, ya still have time. 'sides, you can always change majors. if you find that you like something more than the other then go with. also, the occupation you choose ain't always gonna be the one you stick with in life."

"Yeah. Thanks." I gently smile at them. Gaster, Sans, and Grillby seem to be staring at me as if taken aback by my sudden action.

"Yes, well. If you ever need any more advice, feel free to contact either one of us, only if you want to, that is." Gaster looks slightly flustered and I chuckle, "Alright, Gasty." his face turns a brighter shade of purple. 'Cute.'

"whoa, you okay there, g?" Sans smugly asks the poor, blushing skeleton.

"You're one to talk, brother..." Sans tenses up and starts to blush more.

"pfft. ya must be imagining things."

I finish my meal right after they had while we were talking. I learn a bit more about Sans and Gaster this time around. Apparently Sans and Gaster used to be scientists in the Underground with Gaster leading the research team they were a part of. He was the royal scientist. When they told me this, an image of Gaster and Sans in lab coats, carrying a clipboard, and taking notes popped into my head. I would be lying if I said I did not find this slightly adorable and sexy. Especially since I tend to have a thing for guys who dress in a sophisticated manner and act like gentlemen. It's a bit of a problem, really. Anyways, they told me how they were chosen by the king to create a new energy source and that it was an honor working for the king and queen. When I asked about what they created and about the king, however, they seemed a bit disheartened. In fact, when I mentioned the word king, all the animals seemed to have looked at me with sadden expressions. I decided not to press any farther on the issues and instead try to cheer them up with a random bad joke, "H-hey, did I ever tell you guys about this one time when I was in high school there was a huge storm?"

"where ya goin' with this, kid?"

"Uh, no. I don't believe you did, dear."

"Well when the power went out all the students were de-lighted."

The whole bar echoes with laughter and the atmosphere is more uplifted.

"thanks. anyways, we'd better get going. by the way, sweetheart, i think i might've lost my number on the way here. can i have yours?" He grins at me sincerely unlike most of the times I've seen him.

"Sure, Sans."

"what, no nickname for me? ya gave g one earlier."

"Nope. Sorry." Then we exchange phones and type in our numbers. When I get my phone back, I notice Sans had put his contact as 'Bone Daddy.' I blush profusely and ask, "Sans, why?"

"why not?" He just shrugs, giving me the shit eating grin he always has on his skull.

"What did he do now?" Gaster asks as he stares accusingly at Sans.

"I-it's nothing." I quickly put my phone in the pocket of my jacket.

"i didn't do anything, g. i swear." He looks as though he is trying hard not to have his cover blown as he holds in his laughter. Grillby, on the other hand, seems to have caught wind of what had happened and is chuckling to himself as he listens to the rants of the skeleton brothers. 'Hmm... skeletons who are brothers... Wouldn't that make them skelebros? Ha, skelebros... I acually kinda like that. It's short, sweet, and catchy.' They say their goodbyes and I stay at the bar for a bit longer, talking to Grillby. I start to get a bit woozy with each drink I consume and everything gets a bit slower. My speech slurs.

"... and then Chara and I *hic* were jusht laughing in the shnown *hic* having a... a blast, hahaha! It was so mush fun! Then I met Muffeh. You *hic* wouldn't happen to know her, would you, Grillby?" he just nods in response.

"Yeah she's pretty nishe and swee-*hic* sweet. I actually got a new job fro-om her after losing *hic* my previous one. Man... I have such a loud mouth, hehe."

"Yes. She is. I can see why she would hire someone like you. You seem to get along well with others."

"R-really? I mean, I don't think it's that big of a deal... To be honest, I don't think a lot of people actually *hic* like me... I just feel like... the only reason they're friends with me is because they pity me or feel sorry for my whole existence..."

He looks at me for a minute and I squint at him, trying to get my vision to focus, "Ya look like *hic* a fuzzy, red puffball... hehe. Puffball..."

"I think you've had enough of that stuff, miss." He reaches over to the half empty glass, about to take it, but I grab it and down the last of the alcoholic beverage. He sighs then asks, "Why?"

"H-huh?"

"Why do you think others feel sorry for you and don't actually like you?"

I laugh coldly in response to the question and he looks at me worryingly, "Because... who'd want someone whose been orphaned since she was a teenager who had done nothing but ask the same useless questions and was scared of her own shadow. Especially if they were too smart for their own good... Hell I wouldn't be surprised if everyone did despise me... After everything I'd done... I'm practically worthless..." My eyes blur and something wet drips down my cheeks, "I'm nothing but a mistake... someone who doesn't deserve such good company or anyone's time..." My quiet tears burst into sobs and the other monsters turn their heads to the source of my distress.

Grillby looks at me troubled and hurt. One of the dogs earlier who had greeted Sans, Doggo, walks up, "Is everything alright, human?"

I sob harder, pressing my head onto the counter. 'Why do I even try anymore? Everything will just come crashing down in the end. I can't change what happened and everyone will find out eventually. And when they do, they'll all leave me behind... I'd deserve it after everything that happened...' just then I feel something pat my head and pull me from my seat, embracing me. It was Grillby who had leaned over the counter and pulled me into a hug. Despite him being made of fire, it actually didn't burn. It felt nice and warm. Grillby looks at Doggo with an expression that reads 'don't bother us, please,' and he goes back to the table he was sitting at.

"Shh... it's alright." he whispers softly into my ear.

'It's not alright.'

'Stop.'

"You're going to be okay." gently, he strokes his hand through my hair. My whimpers are muffled as I put my head onto his chest.

'No, I won't.'

'Yes, you will.'

"You're a really nice person. I'm sure those friends of yours care a lot about you." he reassures me. Tears stain his neatly straight tux, now being ruffled and soaked in tears. He seems to flinch, almost as if he felt something hit him roughly. I realize that my tears are hurting him and try to pull away, but he refuses to let go.

'You're just saying that to get on my good side.'

'Knock it off already!'

"I-I am?" I look at him with teary eyes.

'No, of course not. After all you're the one that kill-'

'Shut up!'

"Yes, you are. A very nice, funny, loveable human. So please, stop crying... I'm sure everyone would be upset to see you so sad." he stares into my orbs with a compassionate smile.

"Okay... I'll t-try." I wipe away my tears and smile.

"That's better." Grillby lightly runs his thumb over my cheek, wiping away any excess tears that I may have missed.

"Um... Thanks, for... ya know. Cheering me up and all. You didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it."

"Your welcome, miss. Besides, it wouldn't be right for a gentleman such as myself let a beautiful lady cry by herself without the comfort of a man at her side. Especially one who is as kind, gentle, and unique as yourself." He pushes up his glasses, slyly grinning at my flustered face.

"Y-yeah, of course... By the way, can- can you not tell Sans or Gaster about this? I really don't want them to worry about me. I'll tell them eventually... just not now, or any time soon."

"As you wish, miss." he bows.

Before I get up to leave, I give him a peck on the cheek and say, "Thank you, Grillby. You are such a kind and understanding gentleman."

"Y-you're welcome, Jill." He looks away shyly, blushing.

I chuckle and head out. As I walk I fail to notice that someone is following me from behind at a distance, stalking their next victim.


	8. Chapter 8

_A Horrifying Discovery_

It wasn't until dusk that I arrived back at my apartment. When I got home, everything felt a bit… off. I noticed that there was a car that had been parked precisely several feet away from mine that I've never seen before. I figure that someone must've moved in, but strangely, it looked like the same car that had been following me on my way home. I decide not to jump to conclusions, but still be cautious and lock my door immediately after going inside and all the Windows.

I place my keys onto the kitchen table and grab myself some pasta leftovers from last night's dinner. As I place the food in the microwave I get the feeling of someone watching me. While it's heating up, I slowly and hesitantly look out the front window. 'Just remember, don't act like those people in horror movies. Don't run towards the danger, don't go wandering into any doors that may lead to dead ends, and don't ask who's there. Okay… if anyone is actually stalking me and tries to break in, I always have that revolver in the display case on the coffee table.' When I look outside, the suspicious car is still there, but no one seems to be around it. I take a deep breath to try and calm myself down. Then I heard a loud thud from upstairs. I quickly grab my revolver and make my way up the stairs.

'I really don't think it's wise to check where that sound came from, but if I stay here or go outside there might be someone waiting out there that doesn't have the best intentions towards me.' So, I check each door, opening them slowly ad quietly as not to alarm whoever the intruder maybe that's in my living space. I start to smell smoke coming from my bedroom and when I go in, I am met with a blazing storm of fire. The flames are eating away at my bed, clothes and all my furniture, starting to spread through the rest of my apartment. I bolt out of the room after grabbing my diary that had luckily been untouched by the flames. The building starts to shake and crumble. I manage to make it out before it collapses into a fiery heap. I watch as the flames eat away my home and I fall to my knees. 'You're kidding... you've got to be fucking kidding me... Who the hell did this?! Why?! Does someone out there really hate me that much?! I know I've done some horrible things, but... This... this is just...' I start to laugh uncontrollably then I shout angrily out to the world. My shouts fade into sobs. Then, it goes quiet. The roaring sound of flames being the only sound echoing in the dark night. I kneel for a few moments, emotionless, 'He's wrong. I deserve this. I've always deserved this. People do hate me...'

I stand up and turn around. Someone's standing a few feet away from me wearing a white mask with a black painted on x mark. In their left hand they are holding a machete, "Well, well, well. Looks like the little witch managed to escape our trap. Too bad you didn't burn to a crisp in the fire we set up for you. Your screams would have been much more satisfying while you were being burned alive. And it would have been more fitting for a witch like you."

Another person steps out from behind the vehicle that followed me earlier wearing the same mask, carrying a spiked baseball bat, "Looks like we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. Man, this blows... Oh well, I'm sure we can come up with a painful and creative way to dispose of this pest, hm?"

A third comes in carrying two knives and chuckles, "Ya know, you're a lot cuter in person than in the photo. It's such a shame we have to kill you... Here's an idea, how 'bout we play a game of cat and mouse. You run, and we chase you. And if you get caught then... Well you get the idea. Say... Jack, can I have a bit of fun with her before we start?" she licks her lips in my direction and I shiver in fear.

"No. She doesn't deserve any privileges whatsoever. Besides, the boss told us to make sure she gets what she deserves. So, we should get her now that way we'll have more time to torture her and kill her slowly." The man with the machete halts the female who looks a bit disappointed by his answer, "Fine." The masks and their appearance look familiar to me, then I realize who they are. I remember that mask. It was the only piece of evidence the police could find amongst all the monster assaults that occurred in the city.

"Y-you guys are-"

"AMMO. Seems like the little witch has heard of us."

"Of course she has. There isn't a single person in this city who doesn't know our organization."

The woman chuckles, "We're practically famous."

"What do you want from me?!" I stand my ground, trying not to show weakness.

"Isn't it obvious? We want you dead. Especially our boss."

"B-but why? I haven't done anything against your group."

"Well... That's where you're wrong."

"H-huh?"

"Ooh, can I be the one to tell her?"

"Knock yourself out, Skye."

"The fact that you exist is a crime against our organization. That and the boss has a grudge against your whole family."

"Wh-why?"

The one named Jack walks up to me, looking at me in the eye. "Does the name Selena ring a bell?"

"S-Selena... My mom? But why? What does she have to do with this?"

"You mean you don't know? Tsk, tsk. Looks like she kept you in the dark, kid." The man with the baseball shakes his head.

"She's a murderer. A cold-blooded murderer who used her magic to kill our boss's wife."

My eyes widen, "What? Y-you're joking right? My mom never had magic. And she'd never kill anyone!"

"That's where your wrong, little mouse." Skye licks her blade eagerly.

"Our boss saw it with his own eyes. The blood, your mother's face as she brutally killed her... everything."

"Y-you're lying!"

"You'd really think we'd be lying about this sort of thing?" I hesitate this time, my shoulders hang in defeat as I say, "I-if she really did do what you said she did then... why target me? It's not like killing me will bring back your leader's wife."

"Simple. You have the magic of your mother passed into your blood. Our organization goes against any monsters or mages in existence that may be a threat to humankind. Your magic is probably the most deadly and frowned upon. And, our boss wants to kill two birds with one stone; getting revenge all while killing a mage that could be the biggest threat to us."

"M-mages? There are no mages. Monsters are the only ones able to perform magic. And if I were a mage then I'd think I know it." I look at them with confusion.

"Wrong again, witch." Jack says, bringing his machete close to my arm, pressing the blade against my skin. Trickles of blood drip from the cut that was created by the action.

"Can we just kill her now?" Then, Jack grabs me by my hair roughly. I yelp in pain and struggle against his hold. Skye and the man with the bat close in, readying their weapons. Before they are able to get close, however, I pull out my revolver and shoot at them. Bullets manage to graze the both of them, but miss as Jack pulls my hair. He flings my gun away. They run towards me and Jack cuts into my stomach, causing a huge, deep gash to form. The blood flows out like a river and I cry in agony. When he puts a hand over my mouth, I bite down hard. He screams, "You little bitch! You'll pay for that!" They chase after me as I run, clutching at my stomach while trying to prevent further blood loss. I manage to find a hiding spot in an alleyway. I can hear their footsteps and shouts get closer. My mind wanders and I think of how I'm going to die. 'Maybe it'd be best if I were killed by them...'

'No, you can't give up. You still need to at least see her.'

'What's the point? She'll probably just tell me how much she hates me when I tell her everything.'

'You don't know that.'

"There you are, you fucking bitch!" I open my eyes and see Jack at the end of the alley with the two other AMMO members.

I start to hyperventilate. My legs are paralyzed in fear. 'Move... move! Don't just stand there you idiot! Run!' They inch closer. I instinctively hold out my arm in defense and look away, screaming. Nothing happens. No knife plunging into my arteries, no bat being bashed into my head. Nothing. I look back and see the three of them standing, motionless. Then they fell down to the cold, hard ground. 'Wh-what... What happened? D-did I do that?' I get up slowly and, to my horror, I see a pool of blood around the three potential killers. Above them were tiny spears of blood that began to drip to the ground after I let my arm drop to my side. 'B-blood? D-don't tell me... I have blood magic? Of all the types of magic I have it has to be blood magic...' The world around me slows down and my vision blurs. 'Oh right... I... got... hurt...' My vision fades as I look at the open wound on my stomach.

As I fade in and out of consciousness, I hear a familiar voice shout, "Hey, Zane! Over here!"

I see what looks to be a man cloaked with a trench coat and scarf rushing towards me with another person, but before I could make out who it is I black out.


	9. Chapter 9

With Dangerous Outcomes Comes New Friends and Discoveries

The scent of hazelnut and caramel awakes me. My eyes open slowly to see that I am in an unfamiliar room. Something soft lies underneath my form and I swiftly get up, only to crouch over in agony from the pain in my stomach. Then I remember the incident that happened that night. The blood, those people, and the words they told me. All of it feels like a terrible nightmare, yet... it feels all too real. 'How and why do I have magic? If my mom did have magic and knew I inherited her powers why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she use it to defend herself and my sister? Does Frisk have this magic as well? More importantly, how did I get here? Where is here? Who was that man and person I saw before I fainted?' I look around the room from the bed I'm sitting on. To the left is a door and next to that is a bookcase. A chair and desk are placed near the shelves of books. A laptop lies on the desk with a notepad and CDs. On the wall in front of the bed is a plasma TV. Next to me is a small drawer with a mug of what looks to be coffee. From what I could see, there is no clue as to where I am or who's house I may be in. At least not from where I am sitting.

I decide to stand up. Slowly and carefully, I make my way around the room. I check the notepad first, but most of the pages are blank except for one that looks to be a grocery list and some random notes someone left.

 _Beware of the annoying dog. He may end up stealing your groceries when you get back from the store._

 _-Z_

'Z... That must be the first letter of that guy's name, but... I can't remember. I should look around the room a bit more for more clues.' I try to check the laptop, but of course, there's a password that won't let me access it. Then I look at the bookcase. Books on Sherlock Holmes, copies of Shakespearean plays, some of Homer's works, as well as books written by Jane Austin align the shelves. 'Looks like whoever lives here has some tastes in the classics. Oh, is that Much Ado About Nothing? I love that one.' I begin to reach out to grab the book, but pull back and shake my head, 'Really, J? Now's not the time to sit down and read a book. For all I know I could be in some strange kidnapper's house or something.' Then the sound of footsteps resound right outside the door. Quickly, I get back to the bed and lay down, pretending to sleep. The door slams open, "Come on, punk! You gotta be kidding me! I mean look at the little runt! How and why would AMMO recruit a punk like her? She wasn't even dressed in those weirdo uniforms they have their recruits wear." I hear a loud, female voice shouting at someone.

'AMMO? They think I'm part of AMMO? Why would they- Oh, right... I was near their bodies before they died.'

"Just because she wasn't wearing the uniform doesn't mean she might be one of their lackeys." A male voice, calm and collective, responds.

"Then why'd you bring her here instead of the cells downstairs?" I hear another female respond.

"That wasn't me. It was Greater Dog who put her here even though I specifically told him to put her downstairs for interrogation." the male replies.

'Greater Dog? What the heck? Is it a dog that's big and tall or something? Now that I think about it... I may have heard that name before. Didn't I see a huge and tall dog last night at the bar wearing armor?'

"AAAAAAAAUUUUUGGHHHH, all right, punks! How about we just ask her what happened and if she shows any hostile resistance then I'll take care of her myself. Got it?"

"Undyne... fine."

"Okay, but don't kill her. Even it is revealed that she is a spy, we'd need her to tell us everything she knows about their leader."

'What if they kill me if I don't know anything? What if they tie me up and torture me until I tell them something? Oh, god. This feels like one of those suspenseful spy movies on TV. I hope they don't throw me into a tank of piranhas... Wait. Where would they even have a tank large enough to fit that many piranhas and have space to dump a body into it?'

"Ugh, fine. But I can't guarantee that I won't leave a bruise or a few scratches if she tries anything funny." I hear some shuffling and feel the blankets being pulled off me, "HEY, PUNK. RISE AND SHINE! GET UP!" I immediately shoot off the bed and fall to the floor onto my butt after the sudden noise that was inches away from my ear. It felt like my ear drum might be bleeding from the volume of the female's voice. It's silent for a few moments as I sit on the floor trying to recover from the impact and shock. Then laughter echoes throughout the room, "FUHUHUHUHUHUHUHU! Man, that was hilarious! Hey Z, you sure this punk is part of that AMMO gang? She doesn't seem like she'd make the cut." I hear a groan and look up to get a better look at who has possibly saved or endangered me. A fish lady with blue, scaly skin, yellow eyes, and long, red hair tied into a ponytail stands before me wearing a black tank top and jeans. To my left a young female with blonde hair styled into a pixie cut with blue highlights in her bangs is leaning against the wall. Her bright green eyes are piercing down on my form as her lips are pursed tightly together. She's wearing a white tank top with a black and teal checkered flannel top and distressed jeans. Then I look to my right and I see the man I saw earlier before I became unconscious in the alleyway. Except he wasn't human like I thought he was. He's a robot that looks much like Mettaton, but with a different color scheme and body type. He's a lot buffer with broader shoulders and is wearing the same black scarf and trench coat the night before. His hair is a shiny jet black that's cut short and slicked back. 'Okay. So I was taken in by a robot, a fish lady, and a woman who looks like she could be from the militia. Just play it cool, be nice, and hope they don't ask about last night. Even though they probably will... shit. Of all people why did this have to happen to me?'

"Need a hand, punk?" the fish offers me her hand and I take it willingly. She gives me a toothy, sharp smile and says, "Alright, punk. The name's Undyne. That guy over there with the stuck up attitude is Zane," she points to the robot who sighs and face palms, "The lady leaning on the wall over there is Nicole, though we just call her Buffy since she is ridiculously strong. Not as strong as me though!" Both Zane and Nicole look at her with a stern gaze. She nervously smiles, rubbing the back of her head, "Anyways... we need to ask you some questions about last night."

'Aaaannnd here we go. Okay... What should I tell them? The truth? If I do that then would they believe me? Would they let me go? Or would they imprison me here and torture me because of the magic I have?'

"By the way, if you don't tell us the truth and try to escape then... my friends Z and Buffy over here have given me the orders to take you to the prison cell without harming you." Then a blue light appears in her hand that forms into a spear which she points at my neck. "But... I really can't guarantee anything." I gulp and say, "Yeah... sure. I'll try to answer any questions you have to the best of my ability."

"Looks like we didn't need to take her to the interrogation room, huh Zane?" Buffy walks over to Zane giving him a smug grin.

"Tch." he crosses his arms and looks away.

"Alright, punk. Take a seat." Undyne pulls up the chair by the desk and faces it towards the others. Zane and Buffy sit on the bed while she stands in front of me, holding the spear in her hand.

"So, Z... Do you want me to ask the questions or are you gonna do it? Because last time I asked the questions you complained that they weren't even related to the information we were trying to get out of the guy."

"Undyne... That's because you were asking about anime and whether or not it's real."

"I couldn't help it he was the one wearing an Akatsuki style jacket and t-shirt with a print of Naruto on the front!"

'What even is going on right now? Why are we all of a sudden talking about Naruto?' I look at Buffy who looks at me and just rolls her eyes, then pulls out her phone and starts texting. I watch as Zane and Undyne argue with each other.

"Undyne, you don't just walk up to a suspect and ask them if anime is real. What kind of question is that that someone would even ask?"

"A very important and valid question."

"No, Undyne. It's not. It's not an important question."

Then Undyne turns to me and asks with a menacing tone, "You. Answer me this. Is anime real?"

"Undyne-"

"Shut up, Z." she turns back to Zane then to me. "Well, punk?"

'Um, technically it's not real in real life, but on the screen it is and in the imagination of the creators...' I sigh and ask, "If I say yes, then would you stop arguing with him?"

Undyne shrugs her shoulders, "Maybe."

"Yes. Anime's real."

"ALRIGHT! Told you so, Z! FUHUHUHUHU!" Undyne laughs heartily and points at Zane who is shaking his head in annoyance.

"Buffy... Since you obviously have nothing better to do than mess with that device of yours, why don't you ask the questions considering that Undyne doesn't have her priorities straightened out. In the mean time, I'm going to go get myself some black coffee to soothe this headache I have." He walks out of the room, looking back at me briefly, then heads downstairs.

"Whatever," Buffy gets off her phone then walks up to me, "Alright, shorty. Listen up and listen good. You answer all the questions I give you and depending on the answer, we might let you go. Try to escape and Undyne here'll have to hunt you down. Now, Zane may be a bit more strict on not harming you, but I on the other hand could care less. So, do I make myself clear?" She glares at me with menacing intent.

"Crystal."

Then her mood suddenly flips to a one-eighty, "Good. I'm glad we're on the same page. Now then, on to the first question. Why were you in that area around midnight and what happened?"

'Okay, this one isn't so bad. Just tell the truth.' I clear my throat and answer, "I just got back from Grillby's bar last night and drove home. However, when I got back I noticed something didn't feel quite right. I heard a noise from upstairs in my bed room and when I went to look there I-I saw... there was a fire. I think someone might've thrown a lighter in there, but I'm not sure if that caused it. I managed to escape the my apartment that got burned down, but once I was outside there... there were three people who- they..." My eyes widen in terror as I try to recall what happened last night.

"Punk?"

"Shorty?"

I start to hyperventilate. The one phrase... that one phrase those murderers said... 'She's a murderer.' is the only thing in my mind. I start to feel nauseous. The smell of their blood, those eyes filled with bloodlust, their sick, twisted laughter. It all comes back to me and I start having flashbacks.

"NO! Get away from!"

"Whoa, shorty. Calm down." I feel someone's hand touch my shoulder. I recoil back, pushing them away.

"Don't touch me!"

"Hey, what's going on here?" I hear footsteps approach me, "What's happened?"

"I-I don't know. I just asked her why she was in that alleyway last night and she told me that she got back home from Grillby's then she mentioned something about her apartment being burned down and three people being there. After that she just started to lash out at us." I see them stare at me and all I can feel is fear.

"I see..."

"Hey, Z. Do you want me to rough her up a bit?" A spear is pointed at me and I stand up, backing away from the three of them.

"No, that won't be necessary. Buffy, go get me the tranquilizer vaccine."

"Zane?"

"Just go, alright. I'll take it from here."

"Okay."

"Undyne, I'm going to need you to hold her down for me, alright."

"Okay, but would you care to tell me what's going on?"

"Just do it."

"Fine." She steps closer to me and pins me to the wall. I hit and struggle to get out of her grasp.

"Stop! Don't kill me, please!"

"Stop squirming, runt. We're not gonna hurt you, yet."

"Here." the man tosses a rope to her. I tremble in fear.

"What's this for?"

"Tie her up so that she doesn't escape. When you're done I'm going to try something."

"Try what, exactly?"

"Ugh, just do what I tell you, okay."

"Okay, okay." I feel the rough, coarse fabric rub against the skin on my wrists and ankles, "No! Let go of me! It's not my fault I swear!"

The man approaches me, then something unexpected happens. He wraps his arms around me, "Listen, I know what you're going through alright. I've experienced the same symptoms after the war. We're not going to hurt you."

I squirm, screech, and shout at him to let me go, but he doesn't budge. The other female returns with a needle and I struggle harder to try and escape. The rope rubs against my skin, causing sores and cuts to form. Blood drips from my wrists. Tears fall down my face as I watch the man take the needle and push it into my neck. Then, I start to feel woozy. My eyes shut slowly. The last thing I see are the faces of the three people who had attacked me that night.

I wake up on the same bed as I did earlier with a chair by my side. Sitting on it is Zane, smoking a cigar and reading a Sherlock Holmes book, "You're finally awake, huh?"

"Y-yeah... I guess so. What happened? How long was I out?"

"You started going through some post traumatic stress after Buffy asked you why you were there last night and what happened. Do you want any coffee?" He hands me a mug off the dresser. I reluctantly take it, "Why are you being nice to me?"

"Hmm... Good question. I could put you into the cell and let you rot there for the rest of your life, but... after what Buffy told me and what she said you went through, I figured you weren't an AMMO recruit. Especially since it seemed like the way you answered her question made it sound like you're a target. Now, I don't know why that is or what they could possibly have to gain from trying to hurt you, but if you have any suspicions or clues, then it might be helpful to us."

"I..." I hesitate. 'Should I tell him? I-I don't know...'

"Listen, kid. It's none of my business where you're from, who you are, or what your background is. However, if any of that does cause harm to other people or monsters, then you need to tell me, alright?"

I nod slowly then ask, "Okay, but... Can I ask you something before I answer your question?"

"Depends on what you're asking."

"Well, um... I know it may not be any of my business, but... Who are you guys? Is there more of you?"

Zane sighs then says, "Alright, I guess I'll answer that question for you. We're the Monster Protection Agency or MPA. We're a group of monsters and humans who hunt down any gangs, radicals, or terrorists that attack monster society for the sole purpose of wiping out the entire race, driving them back into the Underground, or oppressing them. Our entire faction is spread across the nation, however our headquarters are right here in this city. However, no one knows of our existence except for the president, governors, a small group of other political figures that support the monster race."

"Whoa... So, would that make you kinda like civil rights activists?"

"I suppose. Though, we don't always use peaceful protests considering that most of the groups hunt down are so hell-bent on getting rid of monsters that they'd die trying."

"Fair enough."

"What about you?"

"Hm?"

"How do you feel about monsters? I heard you went to Grillby's. You weren't there to cause any trouble, were you?"

"N-no. Nothing like that. I could never hurt anyone... At least not on purpose. And as far as I'm concerned monsters seem really nice and friendly. I actually have a few friends who are monsters."

"I see. What about that question I asked you earlier?" I thought I saw a smile appear on his usually stoic face.

"O-oh, right. Well... um... If I tell you... will you... could you promise not to tell anyone else about it, at least not those outside your agency."

"Of course."

"Thank you. Anyways... Do you- have you ever heard of the name Selena Rosella Clark?"

"That name... It rings a bell. Selena... Selena Clark. If I'm not mistaken she's a deceased mage that was once part of SEM."

"SEM?"

"It's an acronym that stands for Society of the Elite Mages. Another secret organization that works under the government whenever there are dangerous situations that may be the cause of magic. Where have you heard that name, kid?"

"Well... My mom's name was Selena Clark. She died when I was twelve years old. The three people that followed me... they mentioned her murdering AMMO's leader's wife with her magic."

"Selena? Murder? AMMO?... Something just doesn't add up."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Well, you see... years ago a very old friend of mine had worked in this same organization and had met the founder and co-founder of SEM. He described their leader as a ghoulish monster, named Damon and the co-founder, his lover, was Selena Clark. From what I've heard Selena would never and had never murdered anyone. Not from all the records and documents they kept, anyways."

"Wait... My mother was in SEM before I was even born and had a lover who was a monster? How long ago was this?"

"Several years before the war when only a few monsters had decided to live above ground. Humans back then still hated monsters, the civil unrest and war didn't break out until more monsters came into the cities. Anyways, someone may have either framed your mother or she kept it a secret from the whole organization and society so that she wouldn't have to go to trial knowing that she would have lost."

"I hope it's the first option."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." He gets up from his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"Downstairs to make a phone call. I have a few things and ideas that an old friend may be able to retrieve that might help. In the mean time, you should head down and greet the others. I think Undyne has something she wanted to ask you. Something about a new home you could stay in until you get the money to afford your own. By the way, what's your name, kid?"

"Jill Clark."

"Nice name. I'll be seeing you with the others shortly." He leaves the room and I get up from the bed, picking up the bag with my diary and phone in it that had been placed on the dresser. I make my way downstairs and try to find Undyne and Buffy. Then I hear a doorbell ring. I go up to the front door and open it. Out on the porch stands two monsters clad in armor carrying grocery bags.

"I'm telling you, 02. We should have, like, gone to that other market place. We would've actually been here a lot sooner."

"01... If we went to the other place we would have never gotten those discounts on jerky for Lesser Dog and Greater Dog. Besides, Undyne, like totally hates the smell of sushi in that store."

I clear my throat and they look at me, "Hey, do you guys want some help, or...?"

"Oh, hey bro. We totally didn't see you there."

"You're, like really short."

"Right. So help or nah? I mean I could grab those for you if-" Just then a small, white dog rushes past me and grabs the bags of groceries with its mouth.

"Well, this is a real bummer."

"We probably should've, like put him in a cage before we left."

All of a sudden I hear shouting coming from the halls. Undyne and Buffy along with some very familiar looking dog monsters run outside, chasing the dog and trying to capture it. "Come back here, punk!"

"Put down those groceries!"

"They don't belong to you!"

The three of us watch as they chase the dog back and forth, up and down the street. 'Well. This has been an... interesting experience. Now I can honestly say that I've seen a dog steal some groceries from two monsters and get chased by a mob of monster dogs, a fish lady, and a human. Yup... I wonder how the others would react if I told them this.' Without warning, the dog sprints over to me and leaps into my arms. The groceries are still in his mouth. Undyne and the others come back over to me as I reason with the dog.

"Uh, hey there little guy. Mind if you give back those groceries to these people." The dog whines and gives me the puppy eye stare, "Oh, come on now. Don't be like that. You should give them back. They don't belong to you. Besides, how would you feel if someone stole a chew toy or your food from you?" He looks up at me, as if he's thinking for a moment, then jumps out of my arms and puts the groceries down. Undyne picks them up, "Alright! Good job, punk!"

Meanwhile, I kneel down and gently pet the dog, "Good boy." I smile at the dog and kiss him on the nose. He licks my face in response and I giggle. Then I stand up, taking the dog in my arms as he nuzzles against my chest. I see the others stare at me.

"What?"

"Looks like I was right. You'd never make the cut, punk! You're such a softie!" Undyne snorts out laughing.

"That was adorable." I hear Buffy whisper as she's holding out her phone in my direction, then quickly puts it away after seeing me stare. Then the tall, huge dog walks up to me and hugs me, licking my face. The other dogs rush over and all pile on top of me, asking to be petted. So I pet them for a bit before they let go of me.

Then, if I remember correctly, the dog named Doggo asks, "Weren't you the human at Grillby's?"

The others stare at me awaiting my answer, "Yeah."

"What are you doing here?" Dogamy asks.

"How did you get here?" Dogaressa says.

"Uh, well..."

"All right, all right. That's enough standing around, huh? I think we should all get back to training. What do you think, 01 and 02?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure, Buffy. Hey, 02, do you maybe wanna, like, get some nice cream later?"

"Sure, 01." I watch as Buffy guides everyone back into the building, except for Undyne. The dog still remains in my arms, slowly falling asleep. Undyne looks over to me and says, "So, punk. You lost your home in the fire, right?"

My eyes remained glued to the dog as I respond, "Yeah."

"Well, I think I might know a friend of mine who likes to help others and admires humans. He's a real dork, but a sweet and innocent dork. He actually has two brothers. One of them is a real gentleman and the other is a bit lazy, but they're good friends once you get to know them. It's gonna take me awhile to get things all smoothed out though. Several days at most, but Zane says he's willing to keep you here until then."

"Alright. Thanks Undyne." I look up at her with a smile.

"No problem. By the way, what's your name? I'd like to call you something other than punk all the time."

"It's Jill."

"Jill? Wow. That name seems a bit predictable for someone like you considering that you're a real sweetheart and cute."

"Pfft. Whatever, Undyne the undying hero."

"Undyne the undying hero?"

"Yeah, cause you seem like you'd be a really cool hero who saves others that are in danger and never gives up no matter what. At least that's how I view your personality. I mean, you work for an agency that hunts down and imprisons gangs that threaten monsters. That takes a lot of courage and guts. I'd probably never be able to do something like that since I'm such a coward."

'Besides, who am I to ask to join such a well organized crime fighting facility after all the pathetic and sinful things I've done.'

"Well, maybe not, but it's not always about being brave or about physical strength. Sure, that stuff helps, but sometimes being clever and having a big heart is just as heroic... Ugh, great. I think all your sappiness has just rubbed off on me. I'm gonna go head inside and join the others. Are you coming?"

"In a bit." I watch as Undyne goes back in. I stay out for a bit until I see Zane come outside. He walks up to me and says, "Well, I think I managed to get the information I needed. The documents I need should be here within a few days. My friend also said that there's something that is supposed to be delivered to you several days from now. He said that the sender is anonymous, but he thinks it may be from a member of SEM."

"Thank you, Zane."

"Your welcome. I'm going to go inside now and ask Undyne for the address of the place that you might be staying at since I'll need it in order to deliver whatever it is that guy wants to give you."

"Alright. I think I'll head in now, too." We both go inside and Zane leads me into the living room. I sit on the couch and watch a few shows for a bit until everyone gets back from training. That evening, I have dinner with everyone in the dining room. I learn that Undyne was once head of the royal guard in the Underground and served the king and queen before and during the war. 01 and 02 were also part of the royal guard and became a couple sometime after living above ground. In fact, most of the monsters here were part of the royal guard besides Zane. Dogamy and Dogaressa have been married even before they left the Underground and had recently became the No. 1 nose nuzzling champions. As for Doggo, he worked as a sentry at a post in Snowdin forest. Buffy just recently got out of military school and decided to join the MPA and became close to Zane. Zane, was apparently created by a monster by the name of Alphys, a scientist from the Underground.

"So, not only did Alphys create Mettaton, but she also created another robot before him?" Undyne asks.

Buffy nods her head, "Mhm."

"Wait, Mettaton was created by a scientist? You were created by a scientist?" I ask.

"Yeah, I was."

"And who is this Alphys person that you were created by?"

Zane sighs and closes his eyes, "She was once an apprentice working under the royal scientist along with his other colleagues-"

"And my girlfriend!" Undyne exclaims. Everyone except me glares at her. I just look at her with curiosity.

"Sorry."

"Anyways, she wasn't always part of Gaster's research team. In fact, she never was always a scientist to begin with. She was an otaku who had created an anime club. One day she had the idea to create a robot and, well. Here I am. Now Mettaton's a whole other story, but I guess I shouldn't tell anyone since he doesn't like to dwell on his past much. She managed to join the royal scientist and his colleagues after creating Mettaton after showing him off to the king. The royal scientist caught news of this and he invited her into the team."

"Wait... Did you just say Gaster and royal scientist?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

Everyone looks to me waiting for an answer, "Well, I kinda sort of met him before I lost my job and went to dinner with him. Then I met his brother at the university and found out he's the substitute teacher for my quantum physics class and yesterday I spent over half the day with both of them."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold up. Are you telling me you met the royal scientist and his lazy, but smart brother who's your sub in your class and had spent most of your time yesterday with them?"

"Yes...?"

"Whoa, punk. You already met Papyrus's brothers and I already asked the three of them to let you stay at their house? This is either a very convenient coincidence or fate." Undyne almost does a spit take after taking a huge sip of water from her glass.

'Wait... I'm going to be living with two charming skeletons that I had already met and their younger brother named Papyrus... Sans, Papyrus, and W.D. Gaster... Wait, are they named after fonts? Does W.D. stand for Wing Dings? Why are they named after fonts? Is it a skeleton thing or just some random names their parents picked for them? Well, hopefully when they find out that I'm going to be living with them for awhile it doesn't get awkward. Oh, who am I kidding, it always ends up being awakward...'

"Well, that's enough about us, punk. So, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself."

"O-oh. Okay. Well I like food, but desserts are my favorite. My favorite colors are blues, purples, and greens. I like movies and enjoy hanging out with friends, going to theaters, and playing games. My favorite animals are cats, no offense to dogs. I actually like dogs, but I like cats more. I'm interested in science-y and artsy stuff. I like sci-fi, fantasy, romance, comedy, historical, any genre of TV shows, movies, or books really. I especially like super hero movies and especially love Marvel. I like to play video games, draw, write, listen to music, watch movies, watch anime and read manga."

"You watch anime?! Which ones have you seen?!"

"Um, let's see... Attack on Titan, Naruto, Sword Art Online, Death Note, Skip Beat, Fruits Basket, Ouran High School Host Club, Fairy Tail, One Piece, and a few others that I can't recall the names of."

"Awesome! Have you seen Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 1 and 2?"

"No, but I've heard of it."

"My girlfriend's seen both of them. We should all hang out and have an anime marathon sometime."

"Sounds good. I'd love to do that."

"What about your background, shorty?" Buffy asks.

"My background?"

"You know, your history. Where you're from, why you're here. Stuff like that."

"Oh... Well, I guess my background isn't the nicest story to be honest. I was orphaned at the age of twelve after both my parents died. My younger sister and I were separated from each other and sent to different orphanages. The care taker wasn't exactly... friendly. I would always get into trouble with her, but luckily my best friend, Chara, was always there for me whenever things got a bit too intense. I remember this one time when the care taker was so mad she had taken pan off of the oven and tried to hit Chara with it and I pushed him out of the way. The pain was excruciating and left a long, ugly scar down the left side of my body. We were both kicked out that night without any dinner and wandered around the forest until we found an old abandoned tree house that we made into our secret hideout. Then Chara got adopted a few years later and I haven't seen him until recently. As for me, I never gotten adopted. The care taker had tampered all my documents so that I would have never gotten adopted. So, here I am now. An adult with lots of emotional scars and physical ones to boot. It's pathetic really..." Ht tears stream down my face and before I realize it, I'm crying into the table. The painful memories rush through my mind.

Everyone stares in silence then Buffy speaks up, "Wow, shorty... I-I didn't know it was that bad. If I'd known I wouldn't have asked..."

"Guess some people really do have it better than others..." Zane says.

"C-can I see it?"

"H-huh?"

"The scar. I wanna see it."

"Undyne-"

"I-it's fine, but... are you sure you wanna see it? It's pretty ugly. I also have a few others on my back that are probably a lot worse than that one."

"Trust me, punk. How bad could it be?"

I take a deep breath and exhale, "Alright." Slowly, I lift up my shirt to reveal the scar and the new one that's been stitched up by Zane. Undyne's breathing hitches as does everyone else's in the room.

"H-holy shit..." I feel Buffy trace her finger over all the scars on my back while Undyne traces her's over the long scar on my side, trying not to graze over the new one slashed across my stomach.

"Wh-where did you get all these scars from, Jill?"

"The one's on my back are from abuse. One of them is from being kicked off the stairs by the care taker, another one's from being whipped with a belt, some I got from having glass objects being thrown at me. A lot of them are from different things all for the same reason. I always asked questions, did something on accident that I wasn't supposed to do, talk back or smart mouthed without realizing it. Basically it was because I was either too smart or too ignorant and they would always end up punishing me for it. Not that I blame them... I probably deserved it..."

"What makes you say that?" Zane asks.

"Eh, who the hell knows. Karma? Anyways, can we talk about something else now that's a bit more uplifting? Speaking of uplifting, there was this man who saw a ghost at a hotel who had been looking a little down so he decided to ask him what was wrong. After the ghost told him about his troubles the man said to him 'you should really get in to an elevator. It might just lift your spirits.' Get it?"

Undyne's eyes are widened, the dogs are howling with laughter, 01 and 02 are just shrugging their shoulders, Buffy is hiding her laughter with a smirk, and Zane just shakes his head in disapproval. The rest of the evening we plays a few rounds of poker after dinner, talk about various topics, and I get to exchange phone numbers with everyone. Around midnight everyone goes to bed and Zane offers me his room. I tell him that I really wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch, but he insisted on me sleeping in a bed saying that I won't get proper beauty sleep and how sleeping on the couch wouldn't be right for a lady like me. So, I ended up sleeping in the room I was in earlier.

Unfortunately, sleep didn't last. I jolt up from my bed. My heart's pounding. My hands were balled up into fists, clenching onto the sheets of the bed. It was a nightmare. This time I dreamt that everyone had found out about my magic and what I'd done to my parents. They started to resent me, saying hateful things and attacking me. In the background I could hear someone whisper the word murderer and the three people that tried to kill me laughed maniacally as crimson eyes watched me with scorn. Then everyone disappeared except for a figure that was cloaked by shadows. I get up from my bed, 'It's just a dream. It's just a dream. None of its real.' I pace the floor. Then I check the time on the alarm clock on the dresser. '3:15am' I take a deep breath then exhale. I turn on the lamp, grab _The Iliad_ written by Homer on the bookshelf, sit down, and start to read. By the time I'm done reading, it's 7:00am. I head downstairs to see if the others are awake yet. The only people down there that are up are Undyne and Buffy. They're both in the dining room eating breakast.

"Hey, punk! You're up early. Did you decide to do some training with us?"

"Nah, just couldn't sleep." I yawn as I go into the kitchen to grab some cereal.

"Insomnia?"

"Something like that."

"Listen up, punk. Buffy and I've been talking and she's suggesting that we take you out to go shop for some new clothes since you lost all of yours in that fire."

"Yeah. And I've also invited someone that Undyne and I know that's a fashion expert."

"Do I have to go today? Can't I just- I don't know- take a nap?"

"Nope. Sorry, punk. Do you really think I wanna do this? Hell, if I could skip out on this then I wouldn't go to the mall, but since Buffy's offering to go to the comic book store section where they're giving out limited additions of Attack on Titan merchandise I have to go."

"And if that doesn't peek your interest enough, I'm also taking you guys to the bakery and you can pick as many desserts as you want. I'm also going to stop by the video game shop too."

"Ugh... fine. But I'm only doing this because you're promising desserts, deal?"

"Alright."

"Well, punks. What are we waiting for?! Let's go to the mall!" Undyne gets up from her seat and unexpectedly lifts me up, slinging me onto her shoulders, and starts sprinting out of the house while laughing like a maniac.

"Undyne. wait! I haven't even taken a shower yet or brushed my hair!"

"Too bad, punk! Fuhuhuhuhuhu!"

Behind us I can see Buffy face palm then run after us, trying to catch up.


	10. Chapter 10

Shopping with Undyne and Mettaton's Return

And so, we arrived at the mall after going back to the house for me to get ready. Once we are there I notice that the place isn't too terribly crowded, probably because it's not the weekends. The mall is decently sized. Not too big and not too small. Outside the mall waiting by the entrance is a very familiar robot wearing a pink tank top, black leggings, and pink boots with shades covering his eyes. Beside him is... 'A ghost? Wearing headphones? Wouldn't they just fall through him? Unless he's the type of ghost able to manipulate objects or something... And isn't that Mettaton? They look like they know each other. Close friends maybe?' Buffy leads us through the parking lot passed a few cars and I follow behind them until we reach the sidewalk, "Hey, Metta! I see you got my text message last night."  
"Of course, darling. I wouldn't miss shopping for the world, especially if it's for a fashion emergency. I heard about what had happened to your friend and would be glad to help her." he hugs her then looks at Undyne, "Hello, Undyne. It's nice to see you again darling."  
"Ugh, Buffy. You seriously invited him here? What if he starts flirting with random strangers or lies on a piano in the mall seductively?" Mettaton squints at her as she mumbles and it seems as though Buffy heard her too as I see her nudge her elbow sharply. Undyne hisses and says, "What?"  
'He flirts with random strangers and lies on pianos seductively? Now that I think about it, He does seem like he would do those types of things. Especially considering that I think he was trying to flirt with me when I first met him.'  
"Really? Just because he did it at your house doesn't mean he'll do it here. Plus, I think Mettaton has enough self control to not go up to random people and start flirting with them." Buffy gives her a hard stare.  
"Whatever. It's nice to see you too, Mettaton." She rolls her eyes then shakes his hand.  
"So, how are you and Alphys, hm?" He asks teasingly with a flirtatious smile on his face, "Have you asked her yet?"  
I notice droplets of sweat on Undyne's forehead as she nervously smiles, "Uh... no. Not yet anyway."  
"I see. Well, darling, you really should ask her the big question. I can tell that she's just dying for you to ask. In fact, she talks about asking you nonstop, but... well, you know how she is."  
"Right..."  
While Buffy, Mettaton and Undyne are talking to each other I notice the ghost stare silently at them, listening to music on his headphones. He seems... hesitant to join in on their conversation. I really would like to talk to him, but I am worried that it might be rude for me to speak to him while he's listening to his music. I stare at him and start to space out as I study his appearance. His face looks sad as his mouth is turned into a frown. He's just a little taller than me, albeit he is floating a few inches off the ground and looks like a white sheet with a face drawn on it much like what those cheap ghost Halloween costumes little kids wear. Not that I don't dislike them. I actually find them quite adorable. He seems to notice me staring after what felt like about a minute and shifts his gaze to the floor. A tense and uncomfortable atmosphere surrounds us and I clear my throat, "So... you're friends with Mettaton, huh? Must be quite an shocking experience hanging around with a guy like him, right?"  
He looks back up and I can see a small smile appear on him, "Hehe... yeah... something like that... I guess..."  
"By the way, I notice you have those headphones on. I take it you like listening to music?"  
He nods slowly, "yeah..."  
"Sweet. I like listening to music, too. It helps calm my nerves sometimes whenever I'm in a bad mood or just wanting to escape reality for a bit, ya know?"  
"Yeah... I get that a lot..."  
I chuckle then ask, "Anyways, what are you listening to?"  
"It's a song I made into a remix..."  
"Whoa, really? Can I listen to it?"  
"Oh... I dunno... it's not that great..."  
"Oh come on, I'm sure it'll be great. Please?" I clasp my hands together as I lean closer towards him.  
"Um... sure... if you really want to... I guess..." The headphones float into my hands.  
"Thanks. By the way, my name's Jill. Sorry for... ya know... forgetting to introduce myself earlier, hehe." I nervously chuckle as I twist a strand of hair around my fingers.  
"It's okay... I probably should've said something first... I'm not really a conversation starter... sorry... I'm rambling again."  
"Nah, it's fine. I tend to ramble a lot round strangers, too. So, what's your name? Or can I just call you Sheets?"  
"Sheets...?"  
"Well, you kinda look like those cheap ghost costumes. The ones that are just made from clean, white sheets with holes cut into them for the eyes and a face drawn onto them. N-not that I'm saying you're a cheap Halloween costume. I mean even if you were, you'd still be pretty cute since they're kinda cute- I mean- Oh god... I am really sorry about this..." I fumble with the hem of my shirt as I glance down, biting my lip. A moment of silence passes by and I conclude that what I had said might have offended the ghost until I look up and see him blushing madly. 'He looks so flustered. Why is it that I find these monsters so adorable? Maybe it's because of how nice and hospitable they are... Still, do I really deserve them and their kindness? Probably not... They might all leave me eventually anyways, get hurt, or- or... worse...'  
"C-cute... you... you think I'm...cute...?" He asks with surprise and uncertainty.  
"Yeah. Especially when you blush like that. It is utterly adorable." I wink at him and snap my fingers. 'And my flirting tendency is back again. I probably just look like an idiot doing this pose though... well, shit. I hope this doesn't make things more awkward.  
"O-oh... um... thanks... you're really... nice..."  
"Thank you." Just as I am about to put on the headphones he stops me.  
"Wait... Napstablook... I'm Napstablook..."  
"Napstablook? I can't really say I've heard that name before, but it sounds just as cute as you. Actually, you know what would be even cuter?"  
"Um..."  
"Blooky." I smile an tap at where his nose would be if he had one, causing him to blush more. Then I put on the headphones. 'Wow, this sounds really good. The beat and percussion are in sync with the rhythm and tone of the music, not to mention the light vocals and synth harmonies. This guy's actually really talented. Now that I think about it... I might've seen him dj at some of Mettaton's live concerts when I surfed through the channels along with that other monster...'  
"Really...? I dunno... I don't think it's that good..."  
"Are you kidding me?! It's amazing! I wish I could create remixes like this. It's so good." I exclaim as I throw my hands up in the air with excitement.  
"O-oh... gee... I wasn't expecting you to like it that much..."  
Awkward silence fills the air, then I look to him and ask, "Say, wanna hear a music joke?"  
"Uh... sure... I guess..."  
"Good, this'll just take a... minuet."  
He slowly starts to smile.  
"I've been told that these jokes always fall flat, that they're really not my forte, but I find them very clef-er."  
He chuckles softly.  
"Have you heard that when notes get in treble, bass-ically they get put behind bars? The alto-nate punishment is to push them off a clef and hope they land on sharp objects."  
He lets out a few laughs and says, "Some of those weren't too bad..."  
"Well, glad I could leave you on a high note in the finale." I giggle then hear my name being called out from Buffy and turn to face her, "Jill, this is Mettaton. Mettaton, this is Jill. She's th-"  
"Oh my god, darling! It's been so long since I've spoken to you. How are you? I'm sorry I haven't contacted you yet. I've been really busy with photo shoots and my talk show."  
"It's fine. I understand. It must get pretty busy being a star. I bet you're shows are quite electrifying, though. You must leave a spark of inspiration for all your fans." I reply.  
He sighs in response, trying to hold back a smile that's starting to form on his metallic face, "Honestly, angel. I hate to say this, but... your puns are absolutely horrendous."  
"Eh, not all of them are bad. Just most of them."  
"Uh, judging by how you guys are interacting, you've already met each other I take it?" Buffy asks as her eyes are glued to her phone.  
"Yeah, I've metaled him already." I tell a terrible pun that makes everyone, but Buffy and I cringe. I just chuckle to myself as Buffy's mouth twitches into a smile. Once everyone recovers from my horrible attempt at making a joke, Undyne breaks the silence, "So you already know Mettaton, punk? This is convenient and all, but I'd be careful around him. He's a bit of a flirt, a player, and egotistical."  
"Undyne, please hush, darling," He looks back at me and says, "Yes I do flirt with others and have very high confidence in myself, but a player? Really, Undyne?"  
I just laugh it off as Mettaton and Undyne bicker with each other. Meanwhile Napstablook is fretting over their fighting and trying to hold Mettaton back. Suddenly, something whips past my face and hits Undyne. It was a shoe. Buffy's shoe to be more exact. She has her arms cross and looks as though she might kill someone, "Both of you shut up already! I did not come here to see a humanoid fish lady fight with a prissy, egotistical robot! I came here to go shopping and help Jill pick out new clothes." Everyone stops and looks at her with fearful expressions. But Mettaton did a double take and asks, "Did you say you're shopping for clothing for this here angel?" he gestures towards me.  
"Angel?" everyone looks at Mettaton and I as he put his arm around shoulder and winks.  
Mettaton replies in a very flirtatious way, That's the nickname I gave her when we first met. She's absolutely gorgeous and such a sweetheart. Basically, like a angel."  
I chuckle nervously and say, "I don't know that..."  
Buffy and Undyne look at each other then at us in a suspicious way. Napstablook, on the other hand, is just silently listening to his music.  
'Why are they looking at us like that? They look as though they came to a realization. Actually that look they're giving the that friends give to others when they see someone they know together with someone else. Wait. Shit. What the hell? Do- do they think that me and Mettaton-? Holy shit. I mean he's hot and all but… goddamn. He is way out of my league and not really my type.' I stand there dumbfounded as I state them down. Mettaton's hand traveled lower to my waist and he pulled me closer. Heat crept on my face forming a blush. 'Damnit Mettaton.'  
"Well, darlings. Let's head in, shall we?" he winks at them and they just roll their eyes. We head inside, his arm still wrapped around my waist. The inside of the mall appeared to be twice as big as the outside. Luckily the place wasn't as crowded since it is a Tuesday. We look around for a bit until Undyne spots a comic book store then shouts, "Come on, Buffy! Let's go before some nerds get their hands on the last limited addition Attack on Titan merchandise!" she forcefully grabs Buffy by her shoulders, picks her up and starts sprinting. Buffy waves nonchalantly at us and says, "Have fun you three! Oh, and Mettaton?."  
"Yes, Darling?"  
"Try not to flirt around with Jill too much and stay out of trouble or I might just have to tell everyone about how you and Alphys-"  
"Of course, of course. I'll be sure to take good care of the little Angel. Now you two have fun alright!"  
We watch as they enter the comic book store. 'Well that was something. Still something tells me that Undyne may have purposely left me alone with Mettaton and Napstablook.' After that thought I ask, "So, Napstablook. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"  
"Oh… well… where… where are you two going?" Napstablook asks.  
Suddenly, in one swift motion, Mettaton lets go of me, puts one leg on a bench in front of the fountain, and scans the area, "Hmm."  
"Uh… Metta? What are you doing?" I look at him with confusion.  
"Looking for the best clothing stores, angel."  
"Um, but there is a store over there that's close by."  
"Hm? Aeropostale?" he looks over and reads the store sign, "Really, darling? No offense, but I don't think that that place would have the style to match your cuteness and beauty." he proclaims as he strikes a pose, putting one hand on his chest and the other on his hip.  
My face flushes as I avert his gaze and mumble, "W-well, I'm flattered and all, but..."  
"Yes, darling." He flashes a flirtatious smile.  
I quickly recover and respond with confidence, "But I'd feel more comfortable with just wearing jackets, jeans, sweaters and regular old T-shirts. Nothing too flashy or showy."  
"Hmm, I see. Well, we should at least get you some outfits that are meant for special occasions."  
"Special occasions? Like...?"  
"Well, what if you ever were invited to a party, or went out someplace nice? Maybe go on a date?" He steps closer and, as he says the last sentence, snakes his arm around my waist. His face is just inches away from mine. I nervously chuckle, catch my breath and reply, "Okay, okay. We'll go look someplace a bit more formal and cutesy."  
"Excellent, angel! Well then, Blooky, Jill, let's-" Just as he grabs my hand and leads us away I cut in mid-sentence, "After we go look at this store."  
Mettaton looks a little dejected after my statement, but nonetheless speaks up and says, "Alright. I suppose we can look there first. But afterwards we'll look at Forever 21 and Victoria's Secrets. Alright, angel?"  
"Sounds good, but I hope we don't end up looking fashionably late when we meet back up with Undyne and Buffy. Also, do you think I should buy velcro for the new shoes I'm buying instead of laces?"  
"Um, no. Why would you do that, darling?"  
"I don't know, why knot?" I shrug my shoulders and smirk at him. After a few seconds he realizes what I just said and shook his head in disapproval, "Still able to muster up a few terrible jokes, hmm? Ah, well. I suppose that's a good sign considering everything Undyne told me about what happened."  
I freeze for a few seconds then ask, "Undyne told you what happened? When?"  
"While you were talking to Blooky. Though, I didn't know that'd it be you. I though it was someone else she was talking about before I spotted you with them."  
"How much... how much did she tell you?" I look down at the floor in a bit of embarrassment and despair. Then I look to Napstablook to see if he was paying attention to any of this. He looks puzzled, but appears to be ignoring the conversation, either because he was too entranced with his music or because he didn't like to eavesdrop.  
"Just that you lost your home and belongings in an accidental fire. She didn't really go into too much detail. Just that you needed some new clothes and maybe a few other things you wanted to buy to replace any precious items you lost. Why do you ask, angel?"  
"N-no reason. Just curious is all." Then I take Mettaton's hand and lead him along with Blooky into the store. Clothing racks, shelves, and counters are all lined up neatly, filled with sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, leggings, jeans, and shoes. I start picking out skinny jeans, plain socks, striped shirts, and along with a buch of other clothing that catches my eye. Most of which are nice, light or dark colors and pastels of blue, purple, green, and variants of those colors without the aeropostale logo. Some have designs like skulls, hearts, or other patterns. Others have nerdy sayings or puns printed on them. After picking out a few pairs of shoes, scarves, and coats I go into the dressing room to try them on. Then I decide to just get everything I picked out. 'I'm lucky I have my emergency credit card on me that was in my diary that I saved.' I let out a sigh in relief as the cost showed up on the register showing that I had enough to pay off the cost plus a little extra for anything else I needed to get.  
As we leave the store Mettaton speaks up, "Well, I suppose some of the outfits you chose do look good on you. I'll admit, I thought that the clothes they would have in that store would'nt have been that stylish, but I guess I was wrong. Still, we should at least shop at one of the other stores I suggested for the sake of style. Also, angel, you didn't need to use your own credit card to buy these, you know. After all, your shopping with a celebrity for Asgore's sake. I'm sure I could've handled the bill."  
"I know, but... you've already done so much for me. I mean, you took Chara and I out to eat, you've gone out of your way to spend time with me and not with your own career, and you've been so nice to me. If I'd had let you pay for these clothes then I'd feel I'd owe you more. Just going shopping with you is enough." A smile graces my lips as I look at him with sincerity. He blushes profusely, yet manages to act calmly, "Well, of course. After all, who wouldn't want to go shopping with the former star of the underground, now the celebrity of the surface?"  
"I wouldn't mind... Its kinda nice..." Blooky shyly replies.  
"Oh, Blooky. You always have been so supportive! Anyways, how about we go to Forever 21 and look for some cute dresses and skirts. We should also look for some sandals and heels while we're at it," his eyes narrow at the bag of tennis shoes I picked out.  
And so, we go into the top floor and pick out a few strapless dresses, various skirts, and tops. Some of the dresses were a bit more formal than others while some were shorter and looser than others. The skirts also varied in style and colors. Some were frilly, some clung to my thighs tightly, others were plain and loose. This time around Mettaton had picked out the shoes and outfits after I tried them on and payed for them at the register, even though I insisted I would still pay for them myself. 'Looks like I'll owe him after all... I really don't like owing people favors, but... I guess I could make a few exceptions.' So after shopping for clothes, which felt like an eternity, we go back to the lobby in front of the fountain and wait for Undyne and Buffy to get back. Ten minutes pass and we see them coming up to us we a lot of shopping bags filled with comics, action figures, manga, and DVDs. 'Well, that's a lot of stuff. Then again, I have a lot of stuff too... So many clothes...' I look at the bags Undyne has and compare them to the amount I have.  
"So, Jill. I've got a few things I thought you'd like to have that I already have copies of." Undyne hands me a few bags worth of manga, anime DVDs, and posters.  
"W-wow. You really didn't have to get me any of this stuff. I mean, I don't want you to go broke or anything."  
"Listen, punk. I got you this stuff as a way of welcoming you as one of my besties. So, if you refuse to accept any of it, then I'll consider it as a way of you refusing my friendship. Besides you lost almost all your stuff in that house fire so just take it to replace some of the stuff you no longer have, 'kay?" She grins widely, urging me to accept the merchandise.  
"O-okay. Thanks." I grab the bags, trying not to drop the ones I have already in my hands and hanging on my arms.  
"No problem. After all, what are besties for?" Again, her toothy grin is directed at me as she gives me a pat on the back.  
"Welp, how would you guys like to hit the bake shop and get some sweets?" Buffy chimes in as she pulls out her phone to check the time.  
"Mmm. Sweets... okay~ Let's go~." I happily walk off forgetting about the others for a brief moment until they shout to wait for them. As soon as they catch up, we all walk off into the bakery near the food court. 'I think I've died and gone to heaven.' I marvel at the various assortments of baked goods on the shelves and counters. 'So many sweets... I wish I could just buy them all, then I'd have an endless supply of desserts to last me a lifetime. Though, I guess some of them would spoil before I got a chance to eat them. And if I ate too many then I'd get a really bad stomach ache and get sick for a week.' Then, I decide to just screw it and get as many desserts as I can without wasting all my money. Which ended up with me buying two strawberry cheesecakes, a dozen doughnuts, two boxes of thin mint cookies, two boxes of assorted chocolates, and one bag of lollipops in various flavors. Mettaton and the rest of them look at me as if I am the craziest human being on the planet.  
"Y-you've got to be shitting me..." Undyne looks at me in shock.  
"That is a lot of sugar." Buffy scolds me like a mother.  
"A-are you sure that's wise, Jill?" Mettaton looks at me warily.  
"Oh... oh dear..." and Napstablook looks just as concerned.  
I just laugh it off and say, "Welp, I told you guys I have a sweet tooth didn't I? Though, I guess you didn't expect it to be this bad, huh?"  
"No kidding."  
"No, I definitely didn't."  
"I guess the next time we go to a bakery I should try to prevent you from buying this much..."  
"No... that was... unexpected... but... I guess I can't stop you from making this decision..."  
I chuckle then turn around. That is when I spot a very familiar looking adolescent with a very familiar looking goat monster. 'That striped sweater... her hair... and the monster she's with... is that?'  
Mettaton's voice cuts through my thoughts, "Darling, Blooky and I are going to go to the music store. Would you like to come with us?"  
My head whips to the side to face them, "N-no thanks you guys go on without me. I just remembered that there's something I've got to do, so I'll meet up with you guys later."  
"So, punk does that mean you want to go with us to the video game shop?"  
"Uh, no. I just have something I've got to do alone. I'll meet up with you later, 'kay?"  
"Well, if you want we could come with you, angel." He wraps an arm around my shoulder, but I gently slip away, "A-actually its... its something urgent and personal... Um, yeah..." I nervously look away. 'Please don't see through this lie, please don't see through this lie...'  
A few seconds pass then Mettaton says, "O-oh. I see. That time of month, hmm? In that case, We'll leave you to your female business."  
It takes a minute or two for me to realize what he just said then my face catches on fire and blushes fifty shades of red, "I-I, um... okay, yeah. Yeah, I, uh have to uh, take care of my, ya know... feminine stuff... so yeah... see ya around." Quickly I turn my heel as I hear Undyne and Buffy snicker behind me. Then I hear them walk away. Once they are gone, I slowly walk over near a tree that stood a few feet away from behind where Frisk and... I think his name was Asriel? Where they were sitting and duck behind the planter the tree was situated in Then I see Chara come up and sit by them. 'Chara? Frisk? The goat kid? What are they doing here? What are they talking about? Should I even eavesdrop on them? I might get caught and they might think I'm stalking them or something... Ugh, screw it. What's the worst that could happen?'


	11. Chapter 11

Finally Reunited and More Pasts Revealed

"Chara! Howdy, I haven't seen you in awhile. How've you been?" Asriel greets the brunette kindly.  
"I've been good. What about you?" He waves at them as he walks closer to the table their sitting at then takes a seat in front of them. I notice his eyes travel towards my direction so I swiftly pull myself behind the planter.  
"We've been good too. Mom's been hired as a new elementary school teacher at the school just outside the city, I've managed to graduate high school early and go to college to study how to be an ambassador, and Asriel has started to organize some campaigns to support and improve the relationship between humans and monsters, with my help of course." I watch her fluent hand movements and decipher what she is saying. 'Wow... she really has grown up into a smart and kind person. Seems as though she is doing just fine without me. Maybe... maybe she doesn't need me. After all, if I were to reveal myself to her and get attached then... then she might end up getting hurt because of my stupid mistakes...' Without realizing it, I've been crying this entire time silently to myself. I assume part of it is because after all these years I've finally found her, and the other part is because of how well she's done without me. 'I guess... even if I had disappeared... nothing would've mattered.'  
Unbeknowest to me, a passerby has spotted my troubled state and walks up to me, asking, "H-hey, lady. Are you okay? You're looking kinda upset about something. Did some guy break your heart or hurt your feelings?"  
I look up and see it was a some type of horse fish hybrid monster, "N-no... not exactly." I wipe away my tears.  
"Are you sure? 'Cause I can rough him up a bit to teach him not to make a beautiful lady like you to cry."  
"Th-that's very kind of you, but-"  
"Jill? Is that you?" Chara looks at me with wide eyes as he stands up and walks closer.  
"Ch-Chara? I-I... I'm so sorry!" I stand up abruptly, "I d-didn't mean to intrude! I-I'll leave now!" Just as I am about to rush out of there he grabs me from behind and pulls me into a hug.  
"You idiot! I was so worried about you! Do you know how many times I've tried to call you after I found out about what happened! I thought you had gotten seriously injured or worse!" He lets go of me, wipes off the tears on my face with his thumb, and scolds me.  
"W-well, ya know I could never get easily burned by a few vandals..."  
"And looks like you're okay enough to crack a few bad jokes." He shakes his head and chuckles.  
"Well, at least you're feeling better. Take care, lady. I'm off to go flex my muscles at the gym!" The mer-horse jogs off outside the food court.  
"Alright. Well, have fun horsing around! Hehe." I hear a few giggles and snorts coming from Asriel and Frisk.  
"So, judging by the way you guys are smiling and laughing, I take it you must like bad jokes, right?"  
Frisk nods her head and Asriel replies, "Yeah. Our mom would tell us bad jokes like that all the time, especially puns. And so would our friend, Sans."  
'Huh, so they know Sans, too? Then again, that guy seems to attract lots of attention from other monsters. Especially since he's actually kinda cute and hot... I-I mean his personality is hot, ya know. N-not his bones... Oh god... Anyways...Their mom... I remember seeing her on tv. She looked really nice and sounds like a good person. Judging by the way they talk about her and their upbringing I can tell that she must be a great mother that took good care of my sister and Asriel.' I offer my hand for a handshake, "The name's Jill nice to meet you, Frisk and Asriel!"  
"Nice to meet you, too- wait, how do you know our names? You seem really familiar... Have we met before?" Frisk signs.  
'Oh, right. Well, this is awkward... What should I tell them?' Then an idea pops into my head, slinging my arm over Chara's shoulder, "Well, Chara here told me a lot about you guys and just the other day I saw you being interviewed on Channel 8 News. Plus, you guys are well known around these parts considering you both are the children of former Queen Toriel. As for that last question... uh, ye- I mean, no, no we have not met before, I don't think..." 'Remember, J. Take it nice and slow for now. She'll remember you eventtually. These things just take time.'  
Oh, who am I kidding... even if she does remember me she'll probably end up not caring or hating me...'  
No she won't, she'll understand. Its not your fault you-'  
It is your fault and you know it!' I start feeling light headed and queazy. My vision slows and blurs the various colors around me. Small droplets form on my forehead.  
Uh, Jill... you okay?" Chara seems to have noticed my distress and pulls me out of my subconsciousness.  
"H-huh? O-oh... Yeah, just thinking about stuff... say I've got a random question for ya."  
"Okay...?" They give me odd stares.  
"Do you think a clock would make a great comedian?" I ask.  
"Uh... no-"  
"Well getting the timing right is more important than watch is needed." I shrug and wink at them three of them laugh and Chara wipes away his nonexistent tears."Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all night. Just kidding." I pretend to take a bow.  
"Wow. Those are pretty bad. Though, I think you, mom, and Sans would get along well with each other." Asriel says.  
"Well, ya know, I wouldn't mind meeting them either. I heard that Sans is a pretty humerus and has a ton of bone jokes he likes to throw at other people. I also heard that Queen Toriel is a nice lady with a furry sense of humor."  
"Pfft... Okay, Okay, doll face. We get it. Anyways... What are you doing here?"  
"Well... its kinda a long story..." And so I spend half an hour explaining to Chara, my sister, and their goat friend about how I was found by a member of the MPA after the "accidental" house fire, taken in to their home, and how Buffy called Mettaton to help out with getting new clothes. I also mentioned Undyne whom, after I mentioned those names, seem to have already been familiar to my sister and Asriel. I did, however, leave out several major details in fear that if I were to tell anyone else beside Zane what I told, I might put my friends and family in danger. From what Zane told me, they could have spies or supporters of AMMO anywhere and you could never know who was listening.  
"So you've met the head of AMMO, Undyne who was once the former head of the royal guard, Buffy, one of the top generals of the militia that served in the Great War, and Mettaton, one of the top celebrities both on the surface and the Underground? You must be one special human if you've met some of the many well known and prestigious monsters and people on this earth."  
"Well, I'm not that special... but... You said Buffy once served in the Great War as a general? Which side was she on?"  
"Well... at first she was on the side of the humans, but... after meeting dad and seeing the truth behind us monsters she had committed treason against the human militia and instead had begun gathering intel to help our cause. She worked as a spy and helped fight on the home front. I still remember how dad, Buffy, and Undyne would always team up and fight the opposing side. They'd always train with each other too before another battle would come up... They were so good at fighting, but... they still weren't powerful enough to take down the militia's group of elite mages and fighters... M-my dad... Asgore... he..." I can see tears drip from Asriel's eyes as he looks down into the table, "I could not save him in time... So instead... Out of grief and anger... I took some of the human souls that were left from the dead humans and absorbed them... I-I killed so many people that day... I didn't mean to. I was just... just so angry and scared... Monsters say that my action had freed us from losing a battle the humans had outnumbered us all in... The power I held had scared the humans so much that they had submitted to defeat and willingly created a treatry with us... Most did not like the idea of monsters and humans living together peacefully, but they knew if the battle were to continue, they'd only lose more lives. I knew that if we were to continue our race would also lose tons of thousands of innocent monsters... Still... it is not something no monster or human should be proud of... I-I killed so many humans who had families... friends... children..."  
A few moments of silence pass by as Frisk tries to console the weeping monster adolescent. Then I speak up, "... Well... You were defending your own kind... right? Much like us humans do whenever our own families, friends, and territory are threatened. As long as it was for a just cause... then... I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. After all, you said that if the battle continued then both sides would've lost a significant amount of lives. So, you made a decision that saved both humans and monsters from their own destruction. In my book, that's a very bold and heroic decision to make. Now that doesn't mean it was the best decision, but you really had no choice but to act accordingly since you and your species was in a bit of a pinch." My hand reaches out to his paw and I give a light-hearted smile. His eyes widen then his gaze softens, "Thank you, Jill."  
He calms down after a few seconds then stands up, "Well... it was a pleasure meeting you human."  
"Yes, it was. Your really nice and punny... Actually... now that I think about it... you seem really familiar... Almost as if... I'm meeting an old friend of mine, or a really close relative... Are you sure we haven't met before?" my sister signs out as her eyebrows furrow into a puzzling a gaze.  
"Y-yup, I'm sure. Hehe." I nervously scratch my head and grin.  
She giggles then says, "Alright, well, we'd better get going. We promised mom we would meet her sometime around noon at the park and its already forty minutes passed eleven." Just as she is about to leave with Asriel she turns back and says, "Almost forgot to give you our numbers. Here." she hands me a piece of paper with numbers scribbled on it, "We all should hang out sometime and maybe you could meet our mom! She'd love to have a companion like you!" and with that Frisk turns her heel, gives a little 'tee hee', and leaves with Asriel's paw in her hand. I let out a sigh I realize I haven't been holding in. I turn to look at Chara who is giving me a quizzical look."What?"  
"Jill... Ya know I can tell when your lying, right? Though, considering the situation you were in, I understand, but ya know what this means."  
"Uh... No?"  
"We need to talk."  
"Alright, alright. Fine. But... not here okay. Wait for me tonight at the tree house, 'kay?"  
"Okay. Just... just take care of yourself, 'kay?"  
"Pfft. Don't worry about me. If anything you should worry about the fact that Mettaton is coming this way with a very unpleasant look which seems to be directed at you."  
Chara turns around quickly and is met with a very unsettling smile from Mettaton, "Oh, darling. I didn't know you were here! And with Jill no less!"  
Buffy, Undyne, and Napstablook all catch up and stand beside Mettaton.  
"Who's he?" Undyne asks.  
"Is he your boyfriend?" Buffy looks at us with mischief. Meanwhile, Mettaton seems to be giving Chara the death glare.  
"B-boyfriend?!" Both Chara and I sputter out incoherent words and blush madly, "ustogetherareyoucrazyImeanwe'rejustfriendsnothingmorebesideshe/sheisnotmytype!" Mettaton seems to have calmed down a bit.  
"Are you sure 'cause you two seem to be really in sync with one another." she smirks at us. Undyne lets out a few snickers.  
Then Mettaton swiftly grabs me by the arm and keeps his grip on my shoulders, "Yes, well, it was certainly nice seeing you again, Chara, but we really must be going now. I have some interviews that must be taken care of, Blooky is probably exhausted by now-"  
"Uh... not really... actually-"  
"And Undyne and Buffy probably have some sparring to do. So ta ta~ Farewell~ Au revoir!" he leads me and the others out of the mall, helping me carry some of the stuff that Undyne and I brought.

'What was that about? Oh, well... it has been a long day and I am kinda tired. Hopefully I still remember to meet up with Chara tonight though.' We drive away back to the MPA headquarters and unpack all the stuff we got. Then, I remember that I have classes this afternoon, 'Crap... What am I gonna do? Do I even have anything to replace all the binders, textbooks, and my backpack I had?' While the others are chatting away talking and saying goodbye to Metta and Blooky, I rush upstairs into Zane's room and knock.  
"Yes?"  
"Its Jill... May I come in?"  
"Of course." I hear the turn of a door knob which led to the open door in front of me, "There is somethings I've wanted to give you anyway that I figured you might need." he shows me several folders, binders, and a backpack lying on his bed.  
"Wait... How did you..? When..?"  
"Well, I had to find out some information about you before I could let you stay here. So, I found out that you're a student at the university not far from here and judging by the fact that there was nothing left after the fire besides your diary, I figured you'd be needing somethings to replace the supplies you once had for your college career."  
"Y-you replaced everything? But that-that costs like over ten thousand grand!"  
"fifteen thousand eight hundred and seventy six dollars to be precise. Plus, I did have a little bit of help from the acquantaince of mine."  
'Holy shit... These guys are so nice and generous. What did I ever do to deserve people like them?' I run up to him and hug him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  
He looks away briefly then clears his throat and says, "Anyways, we plan on having chinese when you get back from your classes, which Buffy will be driving you to."  
"Sounds great! I love chinese food!"  
"Yes, well... you should probably freshen up and change your attire before you go."  
"O-oh. Right. Well then... I'll see you later this evening then." So he leaves the room to let me get changed and use his bathroom. I take a nice quick shower, put on a blue turtleneck sweater, black leggings, and a beanie with a light blue scarf. After getting dressed and put on black boots I go downstairs, say goodbye to everyone, and greet Buffy who is waiting by her car.  
"You ready to go?" she asks coolly.  
"Yup." I say, smiling. In the back of my mind, however, I wonder what Sans, Gaster, and my other friends thought since I haven't contacted them in awhile.


	12. Chapter 12

When I got to the university people around the campus all stopped and stared at me. Some in pity and others in pure disgust. However, Luna and Allen greet me with worry and relief. They told me that they knew what had happened and would be there for me if I ever needed anything from them. Mrs. Dallas had also been a bit more empathetic towards me and had talked to me after class saying how lucky I was that I didn't get severely injured or worse and that if I had any trouble with the students or school she'd help out when she could. Then came my last class, quantum physics.

I take a deep breath as my hand reaches the handle of the door to the classroom, 'I hope he isn't mad at me... I didn't get a chance to reply to any of the messages him and his brother sent me... Then again, he probably is. I know I would be mad at myself for my stupid actions...'

"boo!" A voice shouts from behind me. I jump and let out a squeak. Familiar, deep laughter filled the atmosphere. I turn around and see that it had been Sans.

"Hahahahaha... oh boy, that face was priceless, not to mention your reaction. Guess I really spooked ya, huh?"

"Haha. Very funny professor Sans." I roll my eyes and smile.

"Aw, c'mon kid, what's with that sarcasm? It made you smile, didn't it?"

"Yes. Yes, it did. In fact, you could say it scared me a skele-ton."

"Oh, trying to steal one of my jokes now, huh? Well I hate to break it to ya pal but I know more puns then you that'll really rattle your bones."

"Oh really?"

"Mhm. But, uh... we should probably head inside since class is about to start in a few."

"Oh. Right."

He gently moves me aside and opens the door, "After you, lady."

"Thank you." As I am about to enter the class I am stopped by Sans who put a hand on my shoulder and whispered, "I'll need to talk to ya after class, sweetheart." His tone is a bit more serious and dark. I just nod my head in response and head inside to take a seat. Throughout the period, we work on our projects and I occasionally sneak a few glances over to Sans. He seems to be watching me carefully. A few times our gaze would meet and we'd avoid eye contact for a few seconds before one of us stared at each other again. The whole three hours were like that. It felt a bit uncomfortable, but... reassuring...? To be honest, the way he was staring felt like it was more out of concern then suspicion, but still... I can't risk revealing everything to him. Not when it is something that could potentially endanger him and his family's lives. It's bad enough that I've just ended up getting others involved in my past mistakes and troubles, especially Chara.

The bell rings and everyone packs up their stuff.

"So, Jill. Wanna come over to Allen's place and hang out with us? Monica and the others will be there." Luna asks as she is placing her last textbook into her bag.

"Sorry. I can't. And you've already met Monica?"

"Yup. Allen invited me over to hang out with him and his friends over the weekend so I pretty much met most of your friends. I got to say that they're actually really fun to be around and are so nice."

"Well I knew you'd like them considering that they're really accepting of others. So, I bet Monica told you a really ice puns that chilled you to the bone, eh?"

"Hahaha. Yeah, she did. She also told a few good cat puns."

"I knew she would."

"Well, I'll be seeing you around then. Maybe this weekend you, me, and Allen can all hang out together with the others." Luna and Allen walk out waving goodbye. So now it's just me and Sans.

There is a moment of awkward silence as I walk to his desk and wait for him to finish looking at a few papers which he files into the cabinet. Then he speaks, "So, uh… kid. Are you okay? I haven't seen ya in a few days or heard from ya. Neither has my older brother. Is everything alright?"

"Well, yeah. Everything's fine. I just had… somethings had come up and so I couldn't come to the university. Or get your texts."

"Do you wanna talk about it or…?"

"N-no. Everything is fine. I'm better now."

'That is a lie and you know it.'

There is a brief pause as Sans stares at me uncomfortably. It's almost as if he can see right through my lie.

"…Ya know you could tell me anything, right sweetheart? 'Sides. You're really terrible at lying."

My face flusters and I stutter, "I-I don't know what you're talking about." I avert his gaze and focus on the science poster with a pun on the right wall.

He walks passed his desk then leans on it from behind, giving me a soft stare, "Kid… sweetheart. You're not making this any easier for me, ya know. I like you. You seem like a nice gal, but if ya keep lying to me we're gonna start having trust issues. If it comes to that then… Well ya might just end up having a bad time. After all,… No one likes a liar, kid." The last sentence is a bit more threatening as Sans's eyes turn to dark caverns, causing me to flinch.

'I really don't want him to get involved in my personal issues right now… But he might find out eventually if I'll be moving in with him and his brothers…' Moments of silence pass by then my voice cuts through the emptiness, "…Sorry, Sans, but… I really don't want to talk about it… Just some personal issues I'm having right now is all…"

He looks at me briefly, then turns his back and walks to the front desk, "Well, if that's it then," he sits down facing me, "I guess I'll believe you. Ya seem sincere, So… If you don't want to go into detail, then that's fine. But, still, if ya ever need anything or just want to talk, then just give me a call. I'm all ears."

I narrow my eyes at him, "Sans."

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He looks up at me with his shit eating grin.

"You don't have ears. You're a skeleton." A grin creeps over my face while his only widens.

"Exactly." He replies smugly. So, I leave the classroom after saying goodbye to Sans with my backpack slung onto one shoulder. Sighing, I begin to think to myself as I head out to the parking lot where Buffy is waiting for me. 'What a long week this has been… Especially with what happened-'My mind flashes back to the images of the night I left Grillby's and to what those assassins had told me, '… I'd rather not think about that right now, but… I still want to find out about what they were talking about… After all those years being with mom, I can't believe she would murder someone… It just doesn't seem like something she would have done… does it?... She didn't tell me about her being a magic user, though. And she didn't tell me that magic had run in the family… If I have magic does that mean my sister does too? And if she does is it the same type of magic I have? How many different types of magic are there? Is it like magic from those RPG games I play a lot? … Does this mean my whole life was a lie? Why would she keep this information from me? Was it to protect me? If so, she should have just told me everything so that I could've better prepared myself… not that I would be able to do anything about this…' Before my mind could wander to the darkest parts of my self-conscious Buffy's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, Jill, ready to head back to HQ?" My head snaps up to meet Buffy's and I reply with a soft "Yes." She looks at me skeptically before gesturing towards the car door, "Go ahead and put your backpack back here if you want. It'll be more comfortable sitting up front with it in your lap." Pulling the strap of my bag off my shoulder and tossing it in the back seat, I see Buffy cast me a worried glance.

"Is everything okay?" My response is slow as her gaze begins to fill me with concern.

She appears to hesitate, but then replies reassuringly, "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm more worried about you though. I mean, considering everything you're going through… man."

"Yeah…" flashbacks of everything that had happened up to this point floods my mind, my childhood, the abuse, the fire, and the organization trying to kill me. But I decide to push those thoughts away to prevent another mental breakdown and try to think on the bright side. I start thinking about how I got to see Chara again, meeting Gaster and Sans, hanging out at Grillby's, and finally seeing Frisk again. Not to mention meeting Mettaton and the members of MPA. In fact, if some of the things didn't happen the way they did in the past, I probably would've never met most of them. Still, in the back of my mind a single thought still lingers from the darker part of myself.

'You're pathetic. Useless. The longer your friends with them, the more they'll realize how disgusting you are, especially once they found out who really killed your father…' I stare at the pavement, lost in thought again. Seems as though Buffy noticed my distress and decides to speak up, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Glancing up, I answer her with a fake smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking how there is an upside to everything that has happened so far."

"An upside? How is there a positive side to everything that happened?"

"Well even though I felt a little burned out after the night at Grillby's, the encounter with AMMO gave me a brighter experience, especially after the house fire."

"Why's that?" Her eyes narrow in my direction as she crosses her arms.

"Well, I met some really cool monsters and humans that helped me out that are part of an awesome organization." I nudge at her elbow and, slowly but surely, a small smile appears on her face.

"You're weird, you know that?"

"Yup. And I'm proud of it." I place a hand on my chest and the other on my hip, striking a confident pose. She rolls her eyes then ushers me into the passenger seat. During the ride, I tell a few jokes and we talk about how our day went. After telling her about the project I'm working on and her telling me about Undyne's girlfriend had come over to visit, we start talking about when I'll be moving in with the skelebros.

"So, Undyne told me that you'll be moving in this Friday with them. It's too bad, really. I would've loved for you to stay a little bit longer at HQ. You seem to really make the others happy when you're around. Especially with those bad jokes you tell and your kindness. But, I'm sure we'll all be seeing you around from time to time since Papyrus comes to visit Undyne every now and then. Speaking of Papyrus and Undyne's girlfriend… I believe they're both staying over for dinner."

"Really?"

"Mhm. Though, it took a lot of convincing from Undyne to have Papyrus stay over since he's not really into other foods besides pasta. But she managed by telling him that she'll teach him some new fighting techniques and cooking lessons. Though, Zane and I strongly suggested them not to have the lessons in our kitchen. The last time that happened…" She shudders as she recalls a memory. One of which I am curious to know about but also very scared to. "Alright then…" I furrow my brows at her in response, 'Hm… I wonder what Papyrus is like. I am really interested in meeting him, but at the same time nervous. I'm sure that if he's anything like Gaster or Sans, he'll be nice to hang out with. Maybe he'll be just as attractive as them… Wait… what am I thinking? Oh god… there I go again thinking about how adorable and handsome those two skeletons are… I am such a weirdo… But still, they're nice. And I'll admit, Sans's puns and laugh always seems to make me laugh. And Gaster's smile… the way it looks so goofy and cute… Someday those two cute skellies are going to be the death of me.'

The car pulls into the parking lot, we get out, and I grab my backpack from the backseat. I notice two other cars parked by the building that aren't normally there. One is a red racecar and the other is a small, yellow vehicle. 'Those must be Papyrus's and Alphys's cars…' we walk up to the porch and Buffy opens the door, shouting, "We're back!" I watch as Undyne and the others rush down the hallway, followed by a calm and collected Zane, a nervous looking yellow dinosaur wearing a lab coat and glasses, and an energetic looking skeleton wearing some orange turtleneck sweater and black slacks. He has the brightest smile that shows off his teeth and some of his sharp canines. The sockets don't appear to have any white or colored pinpricks. The one thing that really caught my eye was his appearance. He seemed to be much leaner than Sans, but somehow the clothes he's wearing make him look slightly buff and slim. He's also taller than me, but looks to be a few inches shorter than Gaster. The dinosaur, on the other hand, whom I presume to be Alphys, is only a few inches taller than me, but nothing compared to the height of the skeleton now standing next to her.

Undyne beams, "Hey, punks! You're finally back! Anyways, Jill I want you to meet my girlfriend and one of my best friends."

The shy dinosaur gives me a small wave and nervous smile, "H-hi. I-I'm Alphys. T-though you pro-probably already know th-that…heh."

Papyrus, on the other hand, gives me a wide grin and excitedly grabs my hand. His voice carries across the halls as he exclaims, "HELLO, HUMAN, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! THOUGH YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE HEARD OF ME. UNDYNE HAS TOLD ME ABOUT YOU AND HOW YOU'LL BE MOVING IN WITH ME AND MY BROTHERS."

"Hi, Alphys and Papyrus. It's nice to meet you two, too. You guys look nice, by the way. I especially like your lab coat, Alphys. It makes you look so adorable." I chuckle as Alphys blushes profusely and replies, "Th-thank you…"

Undyne picks up Alphys and looks at me teasingly, "Alright, alright. She's adorable, but don't flirt too hard with her. That's my job."

"U-Undyne…" She looks as if she's melting into a puddle of adoration. A smile crosses my face then I say, "Well you two are probably the cutest couple I've ever met." I finish the sentence with a wink and both of them blush. I hear Papyrus clear his throat and ask, "WHAT ABOUT ME, HUMAN? DO YOU THINK I LOOK COOL?"

"You look bone-tastically cool, Papyrus. A real bone-a-fide Casanova." I make shooting gestures with my hands and wink.

Papyrus blushes an orange hue then shouts, "OH MY GOD! HUMAN, DID YOU JUST TELL A PUN?!"

I just shrug my shoulders and reply, "Eh, maybe. No need to work your backbone over it though, skelebro."

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS SANS!"

I laugh hysterically, "Hahahaha… R-really? I didn't think my jokes were as bad as his, but... Well, at least it got you to smile, right?"

Paprus crosses his arms and huffs, still blushing, "IT DID. AND I HATE IT." I chuckle in response then immediately say my thoughts a loud, "You're just as adorable your brothers, Sans and Gaster."

Everyone at that moment stares at me. Undyne and Buffy give me suspicious looks, Papyrus looks at me curiously and slightly flustered, and Alphys seems to be giving me a blank stare. "H-HUMAN, I AM N-NOT CUTE. I'M THE GREAT AND COOL PAPYRUS. AND I'M NOT LIKE MY BROTHERS. SANS IS LAZYBONES AND GASTER IS MORE PRESTIGIOUS THAN ME. THOUGH, I STILL LOVE THEM AS SIBLINGS AND FRIENDS."

I look at him straight in his eye sockets, and grin mischievously, "That just makes you even more adorable. A precious cinnamon roll." I'll admit all this flirting is starting to make me get flustered as well.

"C-CINNAMON ROLL?! I-I AM NOT A CUTE PASTRY, HUMAN…"

Undyne and Buffy chuckle and then began teasingly singing off-key, "Papyrus and Jill sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S- " Before they could finish, however, I immediately rush over and cover their mouths, my face as red as a tomato at this point. "A-alright. I think that's enough messing around, huh?" I narrow my eyes at them and they look at each other and nod. I sigh then let go only to hear them go on, "S-S-I-N-G first comes lo-" I cut them off again then look to Alphys and Papyrus. Alphys seems to be darting her eyes at me then to Papyrus. Papyrus, on the other hand, is looking at me, still with his orange blush, but now with a bit more concern added to his gaze. "HUMAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU LOOK… REALLY RED. DO YOU HAVE A FEVER? ARE YOU HOT?"

'Not as hot as you and your brothers… oh my god. At least I didn't say anything out loud this time…' Sighing mentally, I tell Papyrus that I'm fine and that I was just a little embarrassed is all.

"FEAR NOT HUMAN, I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO EMBARRASS YOU IN FRONT OF OUR DEAR FRIENDS…not that anything would embarrass them, BUT, IF ANYTHING, I SHALL BE THE COOLEST FRIEND YOU'LL EVER HANGOUT WITH." He stands proudly with his skeletal hand placed on his sternum.

"I don't doubt that." I smile at him softly as a couple of 'nyehehehes' left his jaw. All of us go into the kitchen to hang out and play some games and chat while we wait for the food to arrive that Zane called in. Papyrus had brought some puzzle games such as crosswords, scrabble, and jenga and Alphys brought her copy of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie for us to watch later. She found out from Undyne that I liked anime and have never seen that one before so she told me she brought it over to show it to me and the others. So, for about an hour we had played jenga and talked. I learned that Papyrus, though he smiles at puns, he finds them to be annoying at times and that he really likes puzzles. I also learned some more about Alphys about her experiences working as an apprentice to the royal scientist.

"Dr. Gaster i-is really sophisticated and i-intelligent. And h-his brother, Sans is e-equally just as smart, though it may not seem like it since he jokes around all the time and is lazy. H-he wasn't always l-like that though."

"Really? Is there a reason why?"

Silence fills the room. Alphys and Papyrus look at each other, then Papyrus solemnly replies, "WELL, TO BE HONEST, I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHY. WHEN I TRY TO ASK HIM ABOUT IT HE ALWAYS JUST TRIES TO AVOID THE QUESTION BY TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE OR TELLING PUNS. I TELL HIM THAT AS A BROTHER I'D BE WILLING TO LISTEN TO HIS TROUBLES NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION AND TRY TO BE THERE FOR HIM, BUT… SO FAR, HE HASN'T TOLD ME ANYTHING. IT FEELS LIKE HE'S TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING FROM ME. GASTER NOTICES IT TOO, BUT HE JUST LETS IT GO WHENEVER SANS AVOIDS IT. AND HE'S ALSO REALLY BUSY AT WORK TOO. SOMETIMES HE'LL WORK OVERTIME JUST TO GET A PROJECT DONE. HE ALSO SEEMS TO BE VERY SECRETIVE TOO."

"Y-yeah, e-especially when his co-workers or I ask him about the Core." Alphys chimes in.

"The Core?" I ask.

Everyone looks at Alphys expectantly for her to explain. She stutters nervously through the entire explanation, but manages to get to the point, "The Core was one of Gaster's greatest creations that he built with the help of Sans. It was a project planned to generate energy in the underground to power cell phones, cameras, all types of electronics. It was built so that it could convert magic into electrical energy since magic at its purest form can be converted much like matter."

"So, in other words, magic is like energy and it cannot be created nor destroyed, but can be converted into another form of energy?" I ask.

"C-correct. A-anyways, one day something went wrong with the machine. I-I don't know the details since they never told anyone, all I know is that the cooling system had failed and they had to fix it manually, but something went wrong and… I'm sorry. I-I really don't know what happened, but after that, G-Gaster and S-sans… They were more… discreet and cautious. Th-they also changed slightly from how they used to be. Th-they were subtle changes, but still noticeable. S-Sans seemed more tired and would often fall asleep anywhere and everywhere. M-meanwhile, Gaster would w-work a lot more and h-he became a w-workaholic."

"YES, ACTUALLY… THEY SEEM TO BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM HOW THEY USED TO BE. ESPECIALLY DURING THE TIME OF THE GREAT WAR AND WHEN I JOINED THE ROYAL GUARD, BUT… I WAS ON THE TASK OF GUARDING THE UNDERGROUND RATHER THAN FIGHTING AGAINST THE HUMANS. I REALLY WANTED TO HELP UNDYNE BATTLE AGAINST THEM, HOWEVER, I SUPPOSE DEFENDING OUR HOME WAS JUST AS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS GOING ON THE OFFENSIVE."

"Yeah, and you really did a good job at it considering no human punks go into the Underground." Undyne gave a noogie on Papyrus's skull. "NO, DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON, PLEASE!" his reaction is much like the temper tantrum of a small child and I laugh at his cuteness. 'Papyrus was part of the royal guard? That's pretty unexpected considering he seems to be very childish and nice, but then again there are a lot of things that are unexpecting about these guys. Especially about me since… I… No. Now's not the time to get all depressed. You're supposed to be having a good time, sharing a few good laughs, and nice food with these generous souls, so stop thinking such melancholy thoughts, goddammit and have the time of your life.'

The sudden ringing of the doorbell halted our game and Zane got up to answer. Within a few minutes, he came back with everyone's food. All of us decide to move into the living room and watch the anime Alphys brought over. It kind of reminded me of Sailor Moon, but some of the concepts were different and the characters weren't as annoying as some others. Over all it was pretty decent and the little comments Buffy and Zane made that made fun of some of the things that happened earned a few laughs from me. Meanwhile Papyrus would try to quiet us down as he payed close attention to the animation and Undyne try and banter back at Buffy and Zane. Then once it was over, we flip through the channels, then Papyrus stops on the news once he sees Frisk, Asriel, and their mom with Gaster speaking to a well-dressed man with slicked back blonde hair. He looked to be in his mid-40s. The bottom of the screen read, Breaking News: Founder of T&R Mechanics Corporation, Travis Pearson, Works with Former Queen of Monsters, Her Children, and The Former Royal Scientist to Promote Campaigns that Support Monster and Human Relations. 'Travis Pearson… Isn't he that multimillionaire that manufactures weapons and vehicles? Huh, I wonder why he's working with the queen and Gaster… Well, if it helps the cause to support monsters I'm sure it'll work out smoothly.' Toriel and Gaster are shown shaking hands with Travis whom then gives a hug to Asriel and Frisk. Once the news story is over another one pops up. My eyes widen in shock and terror. It was Grillby's bar. It had been vandalized to the point of disrepair. The walls were covered in graffiti saying very profane and repulsive words. The windows were all smashed and the door was busted off its hinges. The media dubbed it AMMO STRIKES AGAIN: BAR OWNED BY MONSTER NOW TURNED INTO A JUNKYARD. My mouth grows dry and there's a lump in my throat, 'This… This is just… awful. C-could it be…? I-is it my fault? D-did they know…? Oh god… Grillby, is he okay? Th-they didn't do anything to him did they?' To my relief they show Grillby unharmed standing in front of a police car being interviewed by the reporter. 'Still… I can't help but feel responsible since… Since they're after me… Wh-what if they go after Sans o-or Gaster next? Papyrus, everyone… I-if that happens then… I… could never…' My fists tighten and I bite my lip hard enough that it draws blood. I look around and see everyone look at the screen with somber expressions. Everyone except Papyrus who had noticed my concern. "H-HUMAN, YOU LOOK REALLY MAD… I-I'M SURE WHOEVER DID IT WILL CONFESS AND THEY'LL FEEL GUILTY FOR WHAT THEY DONE. MAYBE THEY'LL EVEN HELP GRILLBY REPAIR HIS PLACE."

"I doubt that, Papyrus." Undyne mutters angrily under breath, staring at the screen with a hard, menacing gaze. Her comment, however, goes unnoticed by the tall, naïve skeleton. Just then the phone rings and Zane picks it up from the table from across the couch. He answers it "…Yeah… Okay... Alright. We'll be there soon… No problem." Then he hangs up and talks to Buffy and Undyne, "Looks like we got a lead on some of the members of AMMO who trashed Grillby's. They're heading down Cardinal avenue and were seen jumping some fences in the alley way between Muffet's Tuffet and Woshua's Car Wash. Sorry to say, but… we'll have to cut this meeting short."

Undyne stands up begrudgingly, but then picks up Alphys and tugs Papyrus over to side, "Alright. I'll take these nerds home then."

She drags Papyrus out the door as she nuzzles her head against Alphys's.

Zane sighs, then pulls his black trench coat off from the coat rack by the entrance to the living room and Buffy follows him, pulling a grey one off the coat rack.

"Jill, you stay here and-" Just then the doorbell rang, "Ugh, I swear if its Snowdrake and Ice Cap pulling pranks again…"

He opens the door to a pair of crimson eyes, "Who are you?"

"Chara. Nice to meet you." He winks as he holds out a hand for a handshake. I get up and RG01, RG02, Dogamy, and Dogarressa follow behind me cautiously. I rush over and hug Chara. "Chara! How are you? I am so sorry, I forgot that we were supposed to meet up. A lot of stuff was going on today and I was going to text you, but I got caught up with hanging out with these guys."

"Whoa, doll face, easy. It's no problem. Though I was a little worried, but I see that you're in good hands. Who are these guys, anyways?" He hugs me back then looks at the others. I gesture to everyone and start introducing them to him, "That's RG01 and RG02, the ones beside them in the black cloaks are Dogamy and Dogarressa, next to them is Doggo, Greater Dog, and Lesser Dog," Suddenly a small bark can be heard from downstairs and the small, white dog from earlier leaped into my arms, "Oh, and this is… uh…"

"Toby." Buffy says.

"Right, Toby. Sorry for not knowing your name little guy," I pet the dog lovingly then turn my attention to Zane, "this is Zane and the one beside him is-"

"Buffy, right? I saw you with Jill and Mettaton the other day along with a few others." He shakes her hand.

"Yeah. Nice to meet'cha." She says in a friendly manner.

Chara retracts his hand then pulls me over, making Toby leap out of my arms. He puts a hand over my shoulder, "Anyways, I'll be taking Jill with me." Before he could reach his car, he was stopped by Zane who eyed him suspiciously, "And where are you taking her? In fact, why are you taking her? What's your relationship with her? How did you know she was staying here?"

"Relax, pal. I'm just going to hang out with her is all, like good, close friends do. As for how I knew she was staying here… I have my ways. So, if you don't mind, friend, could you kindly take your hands off me and I'll kindly leave to talk with mi bella amiga." He glares at Zane who had grasped his shoulder firmly then let go.

"Alright. Fine," He turns to Buffy and gestures her to come with him into their car. The others slowly go back inside, but not before they look back at me and Chara. He guides me into his vehicle and we take our leave. The ride is silent as we near the old tree house. Once we arrive, he opens the car door for me, and takes my hand. We climb up the ladder and go inside, taking a seat in the beanbags. Moments of silence pass until Chara's voice cuts through the still air. "So… about the house fire… What really happened?"

As soon as he asked that question, my hands grew numb, my throat became dry, and I broke down crying, "Ch-Chara!" I threw myself over him, hugging him tightly, "I-I'm so scared, Chara! These people… th-they-" My sobs and tears drown out the words I try to form with my dry lips. "Shh… It's okay, J. You're safe here and now. No one's going to hurt you and no one ever will again, alright? And if they try to then… they are going to have a one-way ticket to hell."

"They w-were members of AMMO, Chara." I wipe away some of my tears as I pull back from his chest.

The look of anger and horror only grew more on his face, "What?" he hissed out the word.

"It was AMMO who set my place on fire. Th-they said that… that I… I have magic powers… dangerous magic that runs through my veins passed down from… from my mother. Th-they accused her of killing their boss's wife and are now after me and all other mages… They want to destroy monsters, mages, a-and anyone who stands in their way…" The sudden jerk of his hand pulling me into a hug shocks me, "Ch-Chara?! You're not mad?"

"Of course not, doll face. Why would I be?"

"B-because… After all these years… I've lied to you without realizing it and now I have magic that I didn't even know I had and it's one of the most frowned upon…"

He briefly releases me from his clutches and says, "Jill, no matter what you are, whether you have magic, are a monster, or just a plain regular human, I really don't care… I like you for who you are. Even if the magic you had was the most dangerous and taboo, I'd still want to be by your side until the very end." The rest of the night Chara had comforted me and we spent the time cuddled up together in the tree house, I knew that I would have to have Chara drive me back over to the MPA in the morning so that the others wouldn't worry.


End file.
